


War of the Fallen

by nutz104



Series: The Crane Chronicles [2]
Category: The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-11-16 11:29:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 93,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11252232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nutz104/pseuds/nutz104
Summary: The war is over. The Red Court is dead and Gabriel Crane was there at the end. Nightmares of death plague his dreams. Memories he wish he could forget threaten his sanity. But he has to hold it together. A new war more dangerous than anything he has faced before has begun. A war with London as its battleground. A war that threatens all he holds dear. A War of the Fallen.





	1. Chapter 1

**_[Prologue]_ **

My vision slowly came back into focus. My surroundings were mostly shrouded in darkness. From what I could make out I was in an empty room with no discernible features, nothing out of the ordinary to give me any clues as to where I was. There was only a single door in front of me and a lonely bulb swinging above my head that flickered randomly, casting a dim luminance over me. Once my senses had finished rebooting I tried to move.

Tried and failed. Clearly my senses weren’t completely fired up as they overlooked the fact that I was chained to a wooden chair, held in place by a pair of manacles clamped around my wrists. And I was topless.

“Oh this isn’t good,” I said. Or at least I tried to. I think it sounded more like, “Hm fizznt goo.”

My mouth hurt like hell and my tongue tingled with the coppery, sickening taste of blood. Then out of nowhere something struck me. Pain spread like wild fire through my jaw as my head jerked to one side from the impact.

“Good, you’re finally awake Wizard,” bellowed a deep accented voice from the patch of blackness to my left, “I was afraid you had died too soon. We would not want you to miss all the fun.”

“Please,” I said, spitting blood out of my mouth “Don’t hold up your plans on account of little ole me.”

“Oh but I will,” the voice replied, “You see once you have told me everything you know, revealed all your little secrets; I want you to see your final moments coming. So you can have a sense of honour at the end.”

A lump of fear swelled in my throat. I swallowed it down trying desperately to keep calm.

Oh crap.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Even days that lead to being chained to a chair and abused (without paying for it) can start off like any other day. London was experiencing one of its rare summers, and by that I mean it was actually sunny and humid as opposed to it continually raining. Things had been pretty quiet lately; well as quiet as they can be when you’re a professional Wizard, so when I got a call asking for information and help I could hardly say no.

It was early, around eight in the morning and it was already pushing twenty five degrees. The problem with any big city during summer isn’t the heat, it’s the humidity. Occasionally a cool breeze would sweep through the busy London streets and things would be bearable again for maybe a minute or two, but that would quickly pass. Hell I was just grateful that it wasn’t raining. I was sick of the rain.

My cab pulled up to the corner of Whitcomb and Orange Street and we were greeted with the sight of police cars and flashing lights. I paid the fare, got out of the car and assessed the scene. One police car was parked across the street, preventing anyone from turning onto the road from Orange Street. Another two were stationary outside the entrance to Leicester Square Car Park with a fourth at the other end of the road, mirroring the first, denying access to anyone passing by. Blue and white police tape displaying the words ‘POLICE - DO NOT CROSS’ ran the width of the street at either end, covering sections that the cars couldn’t quite reach. Uniformed officers scurried back and forth amongst the camera flashes of photographers while reporters called out for answers. I approached the police cordon, fighting my way through the crowd of spectators, which was a harder task than you’d think. The press are very territorial about their prospective headlines, not willing to make way for another journalist to scoop their story. The trick to navigating through any crowd is to project a sense of authority, that your presence there is more important than anyone else’s. If you get that right, most people practically fall over themselves trying to get out of your way. But journalists are a whole other story (Ha. See what I did there? Journalist, story.) With them you may need to take another approach. I gathered a small fraction of my will, my magical energy, and murmured under my breath “ _Hauta._ ”

Magic and technology have never been the best of friends. Usually just the presence of a Wizard is enough to make most electronic devices call it a day and break down. Anything produced after about World War Two would be classed as unreliable and the more modern the item, the quicker it fails. But there are rare occasions where the process needs a little helping hand.

The spell escaped me in an invisible aura that spread out a few feet around me. The feint aroma of smoke filled the air as cameras, microphones and mobile phones all began to sizzle and break down. Puzzled reporters started to either check their equipment or yell at their camera crew, ordering them to fix the problem before storming off. But needless to say, the crowd thinned out very quickly and getting to the front was no longer an issue. I tried to keep a smirk from forming but some battles are just lost from the start.

With the crowd now moving on, I made my way towards the police tape to see three officers locked in deep conversation behind the squad car, their expressions grave. I placed myself at the end of the police vehicle, and tried to listen in on what they were saying.

“It’s a fucking mess in there,” explained the first officer to his colleagues. He was a man of average height and build and looks. To be completely truthful he had to be the least imposing law enforcement officer I had ever seen. “Some people are saying that this was gang related or a turf war but I have honestly never seen anything like this.”

“Is it true someone was hit with acid?” asked a second officer, this one female. She was only slightly shorter than her male counterpart but her build was much more impressive and athletic.

“Yeah,” he answered, nodding his head. “One of the forensic guys. He was examining this weird sea urchin looking thing. One minute it was doing nothing and the next the thing starts pulsing. Before anyone can do anything it sprays out this yellow mist and the guy is on the floor screaming. Paramedics took him away about an hour ago. There hasn’t been any word on his condition yet, but it didn’t look good. I…” he paused, his expression severe. “I don’t think he'll make it.”

The group fell silent. Their heads seemed to hang instinctively and their stance was a similar manner of those at a funeral, a moment of reflection and mourning for their fallen comrade. It was a stance I knew all too well. During the White Council’s war against the Vampires of the Red Court the death toll was staggering. We were only able to bury a handful of Wardens and they were considered the lucky ones. The Vampires were vicious and unyielding and showed no mercy and we had to react in kind. Right up to the end.

My mind showed me the haunting image of a dark open field.

Power lashed through the air.

There was a terrifying scream.

I shook my head trying to scatter the memories, to bring my focus back to the here and now. The dead need to stay buried and so should the memories that go with them. I looked up to find the male officer staring at me, a confused yet impatient expression on his face.

“Can I help you?” he said in that tone of voice of someone repeating themselves.

“Yes,” I answered. “Sorry, I was lost in thought. The name’s Gabriel Crane, I’m here to see DCI Wheeler.”

He looked at me sceptically, his eyes scanning down then up, assessing me and making a mental note of my description. Caucasian male, about six foot two in height, short, cropped dark brown hair. Casual clothing, light blue denim jeans, light grey shirt with white vest underneath, rolled up sleeves, tribal tattoo showing on right forearm, possibly going up to shoulder. Light brown coloured work boots.

He filed my appearance away for later reference like a trained investigator. Taking hold of the radio clipped to his vest, the officer pressed the button on the side to speak. I heard the burst of feedback squeal from the devices earpiece. The officer jerked it away from his ear, saying a few choice curses. I winced, took a step back and the feedback died down. The Wizardly ability to screw with electronics, a blessing and a curse. Tentatively and slowly, the officer held the speaker close to his ear and spoke into the radio.

“DCI Wheeler, we have a Gabriel Crane here to see you,” he paused waiting for a response. “Right away ma’am.” He raised the police tape over his head and waved me through. “Right this way sir, you’ll find the detective on level three.”

I gave the officer my thanks and headed into the structure. The moment I walked past the barriers I felt something slam against my Wizard senses. Being able to throw fire or create a gale of wind is only a small fraction of what you can do with magic. There are other areas, other aspects that different practitioners can excel at. You have Thaumaturgy, the art of creating a magical link between two objects, like a voodoo doll or a spell to find something or someone. There is also Verisimilomancy, illusion magic, to make people see and hear things that aren’t really there. Whenever you hear of people saying that they saw a mirage of a lake in the dessert; nine times out of ten it’s the result of some creature from the Nevernever, the spirit world that runs parallel to our own, creating an illusion to torture the poor bastards. Specialising in different forms of magic can mean that you are more or less sensitive to the energies or emotions around you; and if someone uses magic, you can detect echoes of their presence. Generally I would have to focus if I wanted to detect traces of magical energy, but I didn't have to be sensitive to get a reading on this place. It practically screamed dark magic.

The best way to describe the sensation would be to compare it to walking through a graveyard late at night. That oppressive, looming feeling of trudging through such a deathly still place. That was the feeling I got as I stepped into the parking structure. I shivered instinctively. It wasn't because I was frightened or scared or anything; it’s because dark magic can affect people on a primal level. I reacted because something deep down inside me responded to the power, and there had been a lot of power used here. I was not going to like what I found when I got to level three.

Whatever had taken place here had unsurprisingly knocked out the car park’s electrics. All the fittings either hung limply, dangling by a wire or two or had blown out, debris lying scattered below the glass edged fixtures that had been the lights. The police, when they had come along, had set up a series of temporary lights powered by small generators. I was surprised that they had managed to keep them going, what with the energies that were currently circling, but the generators looked like they had seen their fair share of action through long years of service and were determined to do their duty. With the power out and no lighting in the stairwells, I had to go the long way to get to level three following the route usually meant for cars. On any other day it would have looked like your average car park, but each section looked like a war zone. Cars had been over turned, smashed, burnt and utterly destroyed to the point of being unrecognisable. Scorch marks were scattered around the environment; the floor, walls, ceiling, all showing the scars of battle. The fight had ravaged the entire area and taken no prisoners. I passed a forensics team hard at work about half way round level two. I made sure to give them a wide birth so as to not disturb their areas of the crime scene, but seeing as the current state of the structure would be deemed a crime scene it seemed like a futile gesture. As I got closer to the ramp leading up to the third floor my surroundings went from bad to worse. There were a handful of investigators gathered around three white sheets of plastic. A hand protruded from beneath one of the sheets, the skin heavily blistered. The grave expressions of the officers told me all I needed to know about the situation; they were horrified by what they had seen. I reached the third level, or more accurately what was left of the third level. The stench of death clung to the air and tore at my sense of smell. It was all I could do to keep my stomach in check and not have it try to make a break for it. What I had seen on the previous floors had been nothing more than collateral damage in comparison. This is where the real battle took place.

Battle...no, that word didn't do it justice.

This had been a massacre.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Blood and ash and devastation where all that had remained from the confrontation. Small craters littered the ground close to the ramp leading up from the lower level. What was left of a few parked cars had not faired any better than the ones below. There were several more plastic sheets covering what I believed to be more bodies, each being tendered to by an assortment of investigators and forensic guys, their cameras flashing continuously.

By the outer wall, looking out over the old comedy theatre on Oxendon Street, two people dressed in grey hazmat suits very slowly and very cautiously lowered something into a steel container. I only just saw the green and brown tips of what appeared to be spines before they sealed the box shut. I made a mental note and added it to my growing suspicions. I had an idea of what had happened here but I needed more facts before I could say with any amount of certainty.

Men and women continued to scurry about collecting evidence and taking photographs of the scene while in the middle of the fray stood a single woman, barking out orders. She stood at five feet and spare change, a hundred and not much, light brown hair tied back in a ponytail and wore a white cotton shirt, blue jeans and sensible shoes. She was made of springy muscle; a gymnast’s build that didn’t preclude feminine curves and had the sexiest dimples I’ve ever seen. She was Detective Chief Inspector Louise Wheeler of the Metropolitan police department. We had known each other since we were kids. When we were old enough we grew a lot closer, but then my magical talent revealed itself and a bedside lamp paid the price. Sadly that wasn't the only thing. The more involved I got in trying to control my magic and learning about what I was becoming, the more it pulled Louise and me apart. She didn't believe that she could live in _that_ world, the world where there really are monsters under your bed, but we promised that we would remain friends and always be there for each other. Over the past year, since the incident involving the Icarus Charm, things had been slowly going back to the way they were between the two of us. We were close again, but we were taking things slowly. Louise has become more aware of the supernatural and what kind of dangers are out there, lurking in the darkened streets and alleyways of London. Now whenever she comes across anything that rational minds can't explain I get asked to consult.

I say consult; it's more like offering my unofficial opinion. You see normal people do not believe in the supernatural. Even if science and modern technology fail to explain something they may have seen, they will always find a rational way to explain it; their mind was playing tricks on them, they were under a lot of stress, they had been smoking something they shouldn't have been. Everyday people don't believe in the supernatural because they don't want to. They don't want to know that their little bubble of normality could burst any minute, that a creature of myth and legend could possibly exist. Even up and to the point that it's clawing them to shreds. And it's that same mentality that prevents open investigations by the Metropolitan police department into the paranormal. It's why more than fifty per cent of crimes in the UK go unsolved, because they have no rational explanation to base their theories on; so the cases get filed away and they all go on about their normal lives. And it all comes back full circle as to why Lou asked me to come, to try and make sense of it all.

She gave me a quick ‘we’re at work’ nod as I approached, so I hung back a little as she issued out a final set of instructions for a group to analyse the small craters I had just passed. Once they had scurried off, Louise walked over to join me.

“Thanks for coming Gabe,” She said sounding a little tired. “Right now I need all the help I can get.”

“Anything you need.” I answered. She gave me a little smile. “What have you got so far?”

“A series of loud noises were reported in the early hours of the morning, around three a.m. During the time it took between the call and the first responders arriving at the scene, our switchboards lit up like Christmas trees with news of what people thought were explosions. Uniforms found the place looking like a scene from Mad Max.

“We’ve got three bodies on the lower level, several more up here, hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of property damage and a crazy mutant growth spraying acid that has put one of my guys in critical condition.” She paused briefly and let out a deep, tired sigh. “People are putting it down to gang warfare on an epic scale. Some are even trying to file this under terrorism.” She turned to face me. “Truth is no one has a clue what’s happened. Gabe, please tell me you have some fresh insight into this.”

“Maybe,” I said. “What can you tell me about the bodies?”

Louise started flicking through her notebook. “All male, dressed in black clothing, black boots, black combats and black turtlenecks. Two of the three below us were badly burnt, the third looked to have had his throat clawed out and...” She paused again as if trying to somehow find the right words for her next sentence. “And he had gills. On the side his neck. Plus all the bodies were coated in some kind of gelatinous substance.”

“Shit.” I sighed.

“What is it?” She asked.

“The bodies, they’re Fomor Servitors.”

“Who?”

The Fomor are the exiles, outcast gods and demons of every land bordering the sea. They are a pic‘n’mix of races joined together under the banner of the Fomor in a common cause. That common cause being revenge. They warred with the Sidhe, beings of the Nevernever, and got their arses kicked and were banished to the sea. They are generally considered to represent the older native gods of Ireland, similar to the Greek Titans or Norse Jotunn. They are constantly defeated, in myth, but are never entirely vanquished; they're the equivalent of Celtic cockroaches. If cockroaches were amphibian magical badarses. After the death of the Red Court, they quickly swooped in to try and fill the void. The White Council is fighting them, mainly in Europe. A few Wardens are giving them hell in parts of America but they have gained strong footholds in several cities. The Fomor have only made a few attempts to settle in London over the past year or so, but I made sure they didn’t get too comfortable.

“Think supernatural henchmen.” I told her. “And the goo they’re covered in, that’s ectoplasm.”

“I remember you telling me about that stuff.” Louise said, thinking hard. “That’s the stuff that comes from...Neverland?”

That made me smile. “Close, Nevernever. And between you me, don’t let anyone from Disney hear you saying that. They’re likely to sue you.”

Louise let a small laugh.

"In a nutshell, the Fomor are creatures from Celtic myth that got their arses kicked and dumped in the sea and now they're looking for payback. They're looking to reclaim the power that they think was once theirs. I've been able to keep them out of the city so far but,"

"But now they are back and making a power play." Louise said, finishing my sentence. "How are we going to deal with them?"

"Well first off I..." I started to say but was cut off by a raised voice coming from behind me.

"Who the hell is this?"

I turned to see an angry looking man striding towards me, his square face a shade of deep red that would have looked more in keeping with that of a volcano about to erupt. Fitting really seeing as he looked like he was about to burst. He looked to be in his late thirties to early forties, had the broad, athletic frame of someone who kept in shape, clearly a person that looked after himself. Professionally dressed in grey trousers, white shirt with a blue tie and, it must be a cop thing, because he too had sensible shoes. He stopped a few inches away from Louise and me, not so quietly seething.

"Why wasn't I told about him?" The angry newcomer demanded.

I raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Louise.

"Gabriel Crane, meet my new partner..."

"New partner?" I interrupted. "What happened to Steve?"

"He moved." She answered.

"Oh," I said. "I really liked that guy."

Out of the corner of my eye I could see the man getting redder and redder. The metaphorical tea pot whistling louder and louder until it bursts.

"Cut that crap!" He said, drawing our attention back to him. "Who the hell is this and why is a civilian in the middle of a crime screen?"

I looked back at Louise as she finished her introductions.

"Gabe this is David Trent, my new partner. And Trent," Louise turned a scalding gaze towards him. "Check your tone. You're my partner, _not_ my superior." Trent's glare heated up a few degrees, his right eye twitching with rage. He didn't like the fact that he wasn't in charge. Interesting. Louise continued talking despite his attempts to burn her alive with his mind. “Gabe is here because I asked him to consult on this case.”

Christ, a Wizard consulting with the police. I laughed a little on the inside. I knew someone who would think I was stealing his gig.

“Consult?” Trent shot back. “We don’t need a civilian to tell us how to do our jobs.”

“Really Trent, you want to go there? Last time I checked you and everyone else here have no idea what happened. We have all been working at this for the past five hours and we are no closer to figuring that out.”

Trent’s right eye continued to twitch. He also doesn’t like being answered back. I was getting the distinct impression that this guy must have been a drill sergeant in a past career or something. Used to giving the orders and not hearing back talk.

“This was a turf war.” Trent responded, trying to keep his tone as matter of fact as his seething brain would allow. “Everyone knows the gangs are going radical nowadays, and they are as determined as ever to protect what they think of as their territory.” He shot me a condemning glance before adding, “What does this guy know about war?”

“More than you’ll ever know.” I interjected, my features set in hard stone. Trent's stare intensified, his expression a mixture of surprise to my comment and fury that a civilian, a nobody, dared to question his authority. All the while his right eye continued to twitch almost rhythmically.

"And another thing Dave,"

Twitch.

"How many gangs do you know of have gills?"

He looked at Louise. Twitch, twitch.

"She didn't have to tell me anything." I said drawing his attention back to me. "Let's be honest here _Dave_ ," I said, deliberately exaggerating the abbreviation of his name. "You haven't got a goddamn clue what's going on, so you want to throw your weight around to try and make yourself feel better, more in control."

Twitch, twitch, twitch.

"I'll tell you what, while we try to figure out what's actually happened, do something more constructive with your time." My features softened and I began to smile. "I take my coffee white, two sugars."

Shock hit Trent's expression like a bulldozer. I guess no one had ever dared talk to him in such a manner before. Shock however quickly gave way to fury as he planted his feet, drawing his arm back.

"Son of a bi..."

When you're angry you make careless mistakes. A fighter for example, while retaining knowledge of form and posture can sometimes forget about everything around them. Case in point, Trent obviously knew how to fight. Everything in his posture and the way he carried himself said as much, but he was angry, he forgot to be mindful for his surroundings. He drew back his right arm and caught one of the men in hazmat suits with his elbow, sending the guy into a spin and landing with a thud. The steel container the two forensic guys carried fell to the floor, tipping over onto its side. The shock of the sudden impact dislodged a couple of the clasps sealing it closed and the top of the container swung open, the spiny creature inside once again free. Everyone stood still just watching the sea urchin as it began to pulse, its rhythm getting faster. Trent froze in place. He knew he had made a mistake and his brain was trying to catch up with what was going on. He just stared at the growth aiming right at us and he had no idea what was going to happen next.

I did.

I grabbed Trent by the shoulders and forcefully shoved him to the side. As I did I sent a surge of will through the two silver rings on my left hand, creating an invisible wall of energy between me, Louise and that _thing_. No sooner had I gotten the shield in place, a spray of green mist washed up against the barrier and started biting into it, little concentric circles forming from the impact. I saw parts of the mist that hadn't reached us settling onto the ground and smoke curled up as the substance began to chew holes into the concrete floor. I poured a little more of my will into the shield, strengthening it and contemptuously slashed my left arm to the side, using the shield to clear away any mist in front of us. I raised my right hand, gathered more of my will and snarled, " _Runya_!"

A sphere of red hot fire about the size of a bowling ball shot from my outstretched hand towards the growth and collided with a small explosion. Just before detonation I called upon more of my power and shouted " _Ram en' templa_!"

A dome of pure energy engulfed the explosion, preventing the fire from spreading and cutting off any oxygen from fuelling it. The hard part was to make sure the heat didn't spread either. It's what makes fire so hard to defend against. The heat could burn alive just as effectively as the flames could. The mini explosion fought against the dome, trying desperately to expand and consume. A pressure began to build behind my eyes and trying to maintain the dome started to become harder. I maintained the spell until only smoke remained, filling the dome and then finally released it. Smoke rose up and a luckily timed breeze washed through the structure, blowing the grey clouds away. All that was left of the creature was ash and that too scuttled along the floor with the gentle wind. I sagged a little to the side panting, exhaustion creeping into my limbs, but Louise was there to keep me upright. Blowing the thing up was easy, it was containing the blowing up that took a lot of focus and power. I looked up to find over a dozen pairs of eyes just staring at me, disbelief and confusion clouding their features. I can’t say that I’m surprised. As I’ve said, most people don’t believe in magic or the supernatural and yet they had just witnessed me set fire to something with nothing but a word and a gesture. Trent, for all his drill sergeant toughness, looked like I had just taken his favourite teddy bear and ripped its head off. He still sat on the floor where I had pushed him and his mouth fluctuated between hanging open and being slammed shut. I walked over to him and offered my hand. He was hesitant at first but slowly he accepted it and I helped him back to his feet.

“W...what...what just happened?” Trent stuttered.

“The civilian just saved our arses.” Louise said stepping up beside me. She looked up at me with a smile and then turned back to her startled partner. “Now go see if those forensic guys need any help.”

He looked at Louise, still unsure but nodded his head and stumbled over to the fallen man.

“Who knew all it took to shut him up was you setting something on fire.” Louise said, an exhausted breath escaping her lips.

"You realise that he's going to be useless for the next couple of hours while his brain reboots." I told her.

"As long as he's not on my back acting like he's in charge." She said. "What about you, are you ok?"

"I'll be ok" I said. "I'll just need to take it a little easier for the rest of the day. Containing an explosion isn't as easy as I make it look." I tried to smile at her confidently. She gave me a concerned look but didn't push the matter.

I was never able to fool Louise. She knew I had taxed myself a little with trying to contain that explosion and I have to admit, it possibly wasn’t the best idea to exert so much magical energy straight off the bat. But I had seen what these things could do. I knew that it was only a matter of time before it killed someone else. It was better to burn that thing to ashes then letting it sit in some evidence lockup where someone else less informed could stumble upon it.

“Well in any case,” Lou said “What are we going to do about these Fomor?”

“Let me chase up some of my contacts,” I said. “Maybe one or two of them have heard about the Fomor trying to set up shop again.”

“Alright, well I’ve got to stay here until the techs finish up, but call me as soon as you have something. Ok?”

“As soon as I have anything, you’ll be the first to know.” I told her.

And with that Louise went back to overseeing the area, checking on Trent who still looked shocked. Poor shmuck. Learning about the supernatural can be hard at the best of times but I had pretty much shoved it down the guy’s throat. Give him enough time and Trent would convince himself that he was just under a lot of stress and that I can’t have possibly done what I did. After a few more months he’ll be convinced I was either carrying explosives or the thing had a self-destruct mechanism, either way he’ll come up with some perfectly rational explanation for everything. But that was a concern for another time. Right now, the Fomor had infiltrated the city somewhere and the longer they were left unchecked, the stronger their foothold would become. I just had to hope it wasn’t too late already.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Investigating and chasing leads isn’t as glamorous as they make it out to be in the movies. They show it as a montage with the main character going back and forth, talking to different people, checking various locations and it’ll have a catchy soundtrack to keep you invested in what they find out. In truth there is no catchy soundtrack (unless you have one playing in your head, then that’s ok) and you’d be lucky to get half as much done in a day, let alone the ‘few’ hours that would pass in the movie. In reality it was actually pretty boring and more often than not frustratingly unhelpful.

I started by checking in with the Wardens. Seeing as our main forces are currently battling the Fomor I figured they would have some useful information. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

After waiting two hours for a return phone call, I was greeted with a not so welcome response.

“What do you want now Warden Crane?” Marcus said like he was spitting out some horrible taste in his mouth. “I have far more important matters to attend to, to be dealing with any of your utter lack of respect for authority.”

Marcus Glacier is the Warden Commander for the United Kingdom. It is his responsibility to oversee Warden activity in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. He was someone who made us all report to him every day as a constant reminder of this station of superiority. However since the Icarus Charm incident things have been a little different. My gallant actions (their words, not mine) were brought to the attention of the Senior Council, the seven most powerful Wizards in the world, and as a reward I was given a promotion of sorts. I now work what you might call 'special assignments' for the Council and as such the list of people I have to report to has become a lot shorter.

Marcus isn't on that list. In fact I technically out rank him now. He hates me for it.

"Wow Marcus," I replied. "I've missed you too."

The static on the line crackled with his growing frustrations. "What do you want?" He said slowly, reigning in his emotions.

"Well believe it or not this isn't a social call. I need information about the Fomor."

"What about them?" He asked with barely contained impatience.

"Have there been any news about them making another attempt to gain ground in the UK?"

"One moment." He said. I heard Marcus talking to someone, asking them to pass him some files. After a minute or so he came back to the conversation. "We have no intelligence that suggests that they are planning anything like that. Last reports of Fomor activity in your area was the attempted incursion that you yourself repelled four months ago. Why do you ask?"

"Because the local authorities are currently dealing with the aftermath of a battle between the Fomor and a group that is, as yet, unknown."

"Are you sure?" Marcus snapped.

"Several dead Servitors and a corrosive spitting sea urchin that has killed someone makes me pretty damn sure." I responded, my tone becoming equally as impatient.

The line was silent for a brief moment before Marcus said anything. "Then if what you have said is true, you are charged with finding their base of operations before their influence can spread any further."

"Gee thanks," I sighed. "Do you have any useful information that might actually help me?"

"It is _your_ job to find information Warden Crane. I suggest you get to it."

And then he hung up on me. Arsehole.

Sadly the rest of my information gathering went about as well as that had done. Pretty much everyone I spoke to had heard nothing about the Fomor or where I could find them. It was getting late; the sun had set a couple of hours ago and I was no closer to solving my problems than I was this morning. I entered Louise's number into my rotary phone and it rang a couple of times before she answered.

“DCI Wheeler?”

“Hey Lou, it’s me.” I said with a somewhat defeatist tone to my voice.

“Hi Gabe, one sec.” She answered. I heard her talking to someone on the other end of the line, something about crime scene photos and lab reports; to be honest I wasn’t paying that much attention. It had been a long day, use of magic notwithstanding, and I didn’t have anything to show for my efforts other than the beginnings of a world class headache.

“Gabe? You still there?” Louise asked, returning to the phone.

“Yep.”

“Were you able to find out anything?”

“Not a thing.” I sighed. “Most of the people I’ve spoken to have no clue what the Fomor are up to and knew even less about the fact that they were running around the city blowing stuff up.”

“What about that Council of yours?”

“They've not got a clue. But they have officially sanctioned a mission for me with the task of finding out.” I said sarcastically.

“How very helpful of them.” Lou noted drily. “Is there anyone else you can speak to?”

“There is,” I replied. “But I’m trying to put that off until I have completely run out of options.”

“Do you have any other options?” Lou asked sceptically.

“Not yet.” I hesitated a little as I answered. “But I’m sure once I have another coffee inspiration might rear its head.”

The line was silent for a long second. I just knew on the other end Louise was raising an eyebrow.

“I almost sounded convincing didn’t I?” I asked.

Lou let out a sigh. She sounded tired.

“How are things on your end? Any new theories?”

“We have lots of theories,” She answered, a hint of frustration escaping in her tone. “We are practically tripping over them. What we don’t have are answers. Techs found no evidence that accelerants had been used and no trace of bomb components.”

“Well that’s not a surprise. Whoever the Fomor were fighting, both parties were throwing around some major evocations.”

“What?”

“Ka-boom magic.” I alliterated.

“Like what you did when you blew up that creature this morning?”

“Give the girl a penny.” I answered. “The sheer power that was used was almost overwhelming.”

"So you've never seen anything like it before?"  Her question was a harmless one, but something in the back of my mind shuddered to life and for a moment I forgot where I was, Echoes of animalistic screams mixed with the overbearing sound of thunder assaulted my ears and I found myself breathing hard.

"Gabe, you ok?" Lou's voice broke the cacophony of memories and brought me back to the here and now.  I caught myself gripping the handset so tight, my knuckles had turned white and I was trembling.  With an almost physical effort, I pushed my attention out of the past and focused on answering Lou.

"I've experienced something like that once before." Although I had got my body under control, I hadn't been completely successful in keeping it from my voice. And Lou picked up on it.

"Gabe..."

"I'm fine." The words came out harsher than I intended and I thought I heard Lou recoil on the other end of the phone, but I ignored it and carried on.

"Let me put it another way; even the collective might of the Senior Council wouldn’t have left a magical resonance like that." Lou went quite for a moment and I mentally kicked myself.

“Is that a good or bad thing?” Lou asked. She had chosen to ignore my outburst and I let out a breath I had not realised I was holding.

“Well it all depends on whose side they’re on.”

“Great, another riddle.” She said sounding exhausted.

“Lou you sound wiped. When was the last time you slept?”

“I think it was a Tuesday.” She replied.

I laughed. “Seriously go home, get some sleep. The riddles will still be there tomorrow after you’ve got some rest and re-caffeinated yourself.”

Lou made a groaning noise. Translation; you’re completely right with your diagnosis of the current situation but I will not give you the satisfaction of saying so. It’s human nature to not like other people being right, especially when it feels like you’ve got a ton of work to do.

“Ok, you win.” She said sourly. “I’ve just got a couple of things to finish off and then I’ll go home and get some sleep.”

“I should think so to. Respect my authority woman.” I said with a hint of sarcastic triumph in my tone.

“Watch it magic boy,” Louise responded playfully. “Or I’ll come over there with my gun and a pair of handcuffs. Then we’ll see who the one with the authority is.”

“Promises, promises Detective.” I laughed. “But as much as I would appreciate the distraction, I think I’ve put off making my last call for long enough now.”

“Ok. Do you want me to wait up for you?”

“No, this could a late one. You should head home and get some rest. I’ll speak to you tomorrow and let you know what I find out.”

“Alright but just be careful. Don’t go doing anything crazy tonight ok?”

“I’m a Wizard,” I replied. “What could possibly go wrong?”

“Knowing you, everything.” She laughed. “Promise me ok?”

“I promise.”

We said our goodbyes and I put the handset back down on the base. Burying my face in my hands, I let out a big sigh before picking the handset back up and dialling another number. I had one last call to make and if he couldn't help me then I was truly lost for ideas. The phone rang a couple of times before someone picked up.

"'Ello?" Said a rough voice, a heavy East London accent edging his tone.

"Reggie, it's Gabe." I said.

Reggie is hands down the best potion maker in the city (not that I would ever tell him that though) and everyone from the supernatural community uses his services. He is even occasionally visited by the people who have no real idea about the supernatural but because they've seen the movies they think it's cool. Usually they want to try and make love potions or something and Reggie is quick to politely dissuade any future visits. At least that's what he tells me.

Because everyone uses Reggie's services he is more often than not privy to some useful information. He either overhears things or people just flat out tell him what they're up to. Sadly what makes him really useful is also the same thing that makes him quite unreliable. Sometimes he can let slip the wrong information at the wrong time to the wrong people. This is something I have sadly learnt from experience. It's also why Reggie wasn't at the top of my list of people to call but I was getting desperate.

"Oh what do ya want now Crane?"

"What else? I need information and you are my last hope."

He huffed out a laugh. "Ya must be in bad shape, asking so nicely."

"Well I don't have the luxury of beating around the bush." I said. "A dozen people are dead already and there could be more on the way." Ok so most of the dead guys were Servitors, but Reggie didn’t know that.

"It's _always_ life or death wit you ain't it Crane?" Reggie replied.

"Look Reggie, I've had a shit day. I've had people stonewalling me all day long and my patience is wearing thin. Are you going to help me or not?" I shot back. Sometimes you need to be a little heavy handed with certain people.

"Ya know full well that any kind of information don't come cheap. It'll cost ya."

"Cost me?" I said, a little offended. "It was my understanding that you owe me one."

"Owe you? For what?" He replied a little confused and annoyed.

"You telling me that you’ve forgotten all about the Soho incident?"

"Ya never gonna let me forget that are ya?" He said, frustration edging his tone.

"What do you expect? You spent the night with..."

"Alright, alright," He protested, interrupting me. Clearly he didn't want to relive the event. "Keep ya knickers on." He let out a big sigh. "What d'ya need?"

"Anything you can tell me about the Fomor being in London." I said.

The line went silent for a long moment. I thought I heard a door closing on Reggie’s end of the call.

"Reggie? You still there?"

"Y...yeah I'm still 'ere," He stammered nervously.

"Well? Have you got anything for me?"

"Not over the phone," He protested. "I'm at work. Swing by in an hour." And then he too hung up on me.

I stared at my phone for a second puzzled. He seemed overly jumpy as soon as I mentioned the Fomor. That was either a very good or very bad sign and I'm not sure which troubled me more. Or was it someone who was there with him. I thought I heard his door closing; maybe that someone was a person of interest. I could go around and around with that line of thinking. I placed the handset back on its base, an old rotary style telephone, and walked into my bedroom. I have fair sized flat that gives a nice view of Liverpool Street station. It meets all my needs with a couple of book shelves, a sofa, a lazy boy reclining chair, carpeted floor, a small bedroom and a bathroom which leads off from that. All in all it was a cosy place to rest my head at night. I checked with Donald in my bedroom and his hands were telling me that it had just gone ten. Reggie's lock up, slash place of business was in a remote estate in the east end of London and it would take the better part of an hour to get there. I retrieved my black leather jacket and one of my two wooden eskrimas, a martial arts fighting weapon about two feet long with different types of magical runes and sigils carved along its shaft, and made my way towards my front door.

Just before I left, my attention was drawn to an item on the wall mounted over the sofa. A long staff of white wood rested against the wall, where I had kept it since the end of the war with the Red Court. The staff was created by an immensely powerful being and given to me just before the final battle.

More ghostly screams howled through the night…

 

…I found myself standing in the field of an ancient stadium, a giant Mayan pyramid towered over us in the not so distant background. The howls abruptly stopped and I felt the weight of a thousand eyes upon me. We were surrounded by an army of warriors covered in what looked jaguar pelts, the beast’s eyes watching us as it rested on top of their head. In amongst them stood monstrous forms, giant bat looking creatures with flabby bellies and black leathery skin. Pink spotted tongues snaking out of their open maws, with drool dripping from sharp fangs.

Red Court vampires.

No, not just vampires. We were surrounded by _the_ Red Court, the entire Court.

I looked up to see fourteen figures standing on a platform raised above the stadium’s entry way. Thirteen of them wore different kinds of ceremonial garb, each with a personalised mask covering their face. The fourteenth was bare from the waist up and wore a skirt-kilt type thing. He was notably smaller than the others but his presence had a life all on its own, rivalling the stature of any man or creature I had ever seen.

Except during the war.

He was the Red King and surrounding him were the Lords of Outer Night.

I was there when the infamous Warden Donald Morgan had been within a cat's whisker of ending the Red King. It had been the biggest victory the Council had achieved over the Red Court since the war began. I managed to scorch the faces of a couple of vampires that protected the Red King as he escaped. Later I found out that they happened to be members of his inner circle, the Lords of Outer Night, immensely powerful beings that could quite literally crush you with a glance.

The night became silent and no one dared move, less it drew the attention of a trigger happy attacker. The man to the left of me, his face mostly hidden under by the hood of his grey cloak, raised his staff and pointed it directly at the Red King and his Lords. He spoke and it resonated throughout the stadium and the very ground we stood upon. "Remember Archangel!"

 


	5. Chapter 5

He called a word and the second floor of the stadium temple simply exploded. Stone wailed as it was torn apart by an unseen force and tons of debris flew backward, carrying the Red King and his Lords along for the ride.

Someone let out a primal scream of glee and triumph and the army of vampires took that as a cue to attack. Power lashed out towards us, the hooded figure to my right cried out “ _Fuego!_ ” sending a ball of fire from the end of his out stretched staff to meet the oncoming magic. It detonated away from us over the swarming tide of creatures, burning them, reducing them into nothing more than wailing masses of chard meat and bone. I sensed another attack coming and raised my left hand in a defensive gesture, shoving my will into the two silver rings. Crimson lightening slammed into my shield, pushing my feet back across several inches of dirt.

I lowered the shield to see a Red Court noble readying another spell. I slashed my staff diagonally upwards from left to right shouting “ _Talar’ehta!_ ” The runes of the staff blazed to life, covering me in an incandescent purple light as I sent my will through it. It was in complete contrast to the seeming gleam of the sheer white staff, but it boar my power well and a spear of stone and dirt and gravel exploded from the ground beneath the noble. It impaled him, piercing him right through the source of his power, his blood sack. Its eyes went wide with horror, blood spilling forth from its mouth and down its chin.

Turning from the dying vampire, I looked around to see a group of armed guards upon the walls of the stadium begin to open fire. A couple of bullets whizzed past my head, sounding like over grown mosquitos. Once again I raised my shield, shaping it into a dome of unseen energy. Bullets began to hit my barrier, concentric rings of purple light, flashing with each impact in a fast and steady rhythm. I tried to ricochet as many shots into enemy lines as possible and I noticed a few men wearing jaguar pelts go down. Suddenly the pressure from the gunfire decreased and I was able to see through my shield, although I wished to hell that I hadn't.

I saw the grey hooded man that had led the attack waive a staff of dark wood, one he had not been carrying a few moments before, and the gunmen simply fell to the ground lifeless. It was unmistakable. He had just used magic to end their lives. He had broken the First Law of Magic, Thou Shall Not Kill.

I watched on for a few moments more, completely stunned. I had just witnessed someone use magic, one of the fundamental forces of life and creation, and twist it, corrupt it. It was incomprehensible. A terrifyingly inhuman howl pulled me away from my stunned silence. Right, fight for my life first. I can deal with the shocking revelations when we get out of here. _If_ we get out of here.

My instincts screamed at me, calling me into action. I raised my shield again turning to look behind me and less than instant later an axe collided with the barrier in a flash of purple light. A split second earlier and the axe would have been buried in the back of my skull.

I don’t care how tough you think you are, that kind of thing is going to make you flinch. I like to think of it more as a protective reaction, makes me feel like less of a sissy.

A jaguar warrior rushed towards me, an inhuman cry bellowing from his human looking throat. He raised a sword above his head and brought the obsidian blade down at me. I gripped my staff at both ends and held it out above me, keeping my left arm bent a little. There was no way I was going to be able to match the strength of the incoming blow, the creature beneath the flesh mask was too strong, so by angling my staff I was able to deflect his attack to one side and the blade slid off the shaft, biting into the ground below. Before he was able to react, I jammed the end of my staff into his throat eliciting a choking gasp and poured on more of my will crying “ _Runya!_ ” Purple light once again flared up from runes and fire lashed out, consuming the vampire’s head, neck and shoulders. Its headless body fell limply to the ground, like a puppet whose strings had just been cut. Smoke curled up from the end of my staff but the white wood remained unmarked by the encounter.

I heard a man call out in pain and whirled to see another grey cloaked figure stumbling to the ground a couple of yards away, a vampire in its true black hideous form following close behind. The fallen man was able to bring his staff up to intercept the creature but he wasn’t going to be able to hold it off for very long. The beast kept lashing out with its jaws, snapping them shut mere inches away from the figure’s throat, all whilst barring down with its weight edging closer and closer. The hooded figure’s resistance was fading fast, unable to withstand the vampire’s supernatural strength and I wasn’t the only one to have noticed. Even more howls filled the air as more vampires surged forward, covering the ground with unnatural speed. With his focus fully engaged in the struggle, the hooded man would never see the oncoming tide of vampires until it was too late. I rushed to intercept the advancing charge, gripping my staff at the end and whirling it as I ran. I began to gather my will for another spell that while effective, would have to be timed perfectly. Too early and they would be able to avoid it, too late and I’d miss the frontline of the charge, leaving them free to tear me apart along with the hooded figure.

The vampires covered the distance with quick, steady strides, their blood lust an almost physical presence all on its own, carrying them across the field. For a second I didn't think I would make it in time, that my ally would be crushed under the ravenous weight of the vampires; but a nearby explosion rocked them, causing their pace to falter for just a second and a second was all I needed. I ran out in front of the charging mass, swept my staff along the ground and bellowed “ _Parlia, Stolar Spilis!_ ”

My will lashed out in a purple blaze and the ground before me began to shudder and part. The earth split open about fifteen feet wide, its jagged edges opening like the maw of a giant beast ready to chew up anything that fell into it.

The forward most vampires had been in mid stride when I unleashed the spell and were unable to stop themselves in time. They plunged down into the blackness, their shrieks becoming more distant the further they fell. The ones behind had seen them fall and hit the brakes hard. Their forward momentum was too great, their hunger getting the better of them and they ended up tumbling down after, followed by the next line. And the next. The fifth line of the charge had managed to slow themselves down enough to alter their course, leaping over their fallen comrades and that was when the next part of the spell hit. Spears of stone and earth sprang up towards the oncoming horde, impaling vampires in mid-air. One column pierced a vampire’s neck, another through the creature’s chest, one vampire howled as it leaped through the air and was answered by a spear thrust down its throat.

I didn’t stop there. I whirled my staff around, letting my momentum carry me towards the struggling figure and gripped it with both hands. Gathering more of my power I snarled the words “ _Khelek Koron!_ ” and ice began to build at the other end of the staff, forming into a sphere the size of a football. I followed through with my swing and the ball of solid ice impacted with the side of the vampire’s head with a sickening crack. Shards of ice exploded as the beast went reeling back from the blow howling in pain, frozen splinters protruding from one of its eyes and down the side of its face. It gave the hooded figure the opening he needed. He thrust out his own staff, shouting a word in a language I didn’t understand and the yowling vampire was crushed to the ground. It was as if a giant invisible anvil had fallen on it, pounding it into a bloody mass.

I walked over to the hooded figure and offered him my hand, he took it and I helped him back to his feet. Without a word of warning he pulled me to one side and it staggered me a little. He shouted another word and I turned around in time to see a pair of vampires, who had been sneaking up behind me, fly up into the air and off into the distance. It took me a second to realise what he had done; he had been manipulating gravity. His first spell had crushed a vampire by increasing the gravitational pull, pulling it in from the surrounding area into one spot. The second attack was along similar lines but reversed. Instead of accumulating it all into one place he spread it out, displacing it enough to the point that there was nothing to keep the vampires on the ground. I had never seen that type of magic used so casually before, let alone in such quick concession.

That was quite frankly terrifying.

Still gripping my hand, the figure turned and showed me his dark features, his mouth spreading into a wolfish smile.

“Guess that makes us even.” He said. His voice was unusually deep, like he was using some kind of voice distorter. And with that, he ran off towards another gathering of vampires.

It was hard not to be impressed and terrified by that. Anyone who can use such complex magic with ease, casually running into the fray with such enjoyment was not someone you took lightly. I guess I just had to be grateful that he was on my side.

Howls cried out and caught my attention as a pair of jaguar warriors came rushing towards me. I readied my shield rings and with an effort of will…

 

…I pushed the memory back into the darkest corners of my thoughts. I looked down at my right hand to find that it was shaking and even more startling was the fact that I was panting heavy and fast. I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing, to calm my mind. It took several minutes but I managed to bring my hand under control and my breathing slowed to something more natural.

I decided against taking the staff, trying to distance myself from those events and left my apartment, locking the door behind me.

 


	6. Chapter 6

"Come on Reggie, open up." I called.

I had been banging on the door to his workplace for ten minutes and there didn't seem to be any indication that it was going to be opened any time soon.

“Reggie if you can hear me, it’s Gabe.”

Still nothing.

I let out a huge sigh and just for the hell of it tried the door handle. I know some people would be thinking ‘why didn’t I do that in the first place?’ Well there would be a couple of reasons for that. Firstly, as I’ve said before Reggie is the best at what he does. Over the years there have been people who have tried to make him offers that he couldn’t, or more aptly shouldn’t, refuse. They were all met with the usual answer, ‘fuck off’, which has a tendency to annoy certain types of people. So for that reason Reggie has invested a great deal of time, effort and money in making sure that his place of business is protected. If I tried to barge my way in there, well let me put it this way, there wouldn’t be enough of me left for dental recognition.

Secondly, it’s just rude.

It was only when I touched the door handle that I realised I couldn’t sense anything. I reached out with my Wizard’s senses and the steady pressure of power that I usually felt standing near the wards that protected Reggie’s place were gone. There was nothing there. Something wasn’t right about this. I turned the handle to open the door and it came away in my hand. There was the sound of light metal hitting the floor as the handle’s counterpart on the other side fell. My heartbeat sped up a little. I pushed the door open and peered inside, readying my eskrima with an infusion of my will in case I needed to defend myself at a moment’s notice. It was dark inside Reggie's workshop, the silvery light of the moon revealed only so much from the doorway. I used a small fragment of my stored will and muttered " _Kalina_."

Power went through to the latest edition in my arsenal, a brown leather wrist strap on my right wrist, about five centimetres wide with a series of six silver discs , the size of a two pound coin fastened around it. As I infused the discs with my will, they all started to glow with a blue-white light that faintly illuminated my surroundings. I used to have a pendent, like a lot of Wizards I know, that did the same thing but I always thought it was a little bit troublesome if you suddenly needed both of your hands. Cautiously I stepped inside, my weapon at the ready. Reggie's workshop had been trashed. The series of small shelving units no longer stood to attention in ordered rows. Some had been knocked into others causing a domino effect, each falling on top of the other. There were others that, whilst they were still standing, had holes blown through them, the edges still softly glowing and smoking.

"Reggie!" I called. "Reggie, it’s Gabe. Can you hear me?"

I held my breath, trying to cause as little noise as possible while I waited to hear a response. I heard a feeble groan coming from the far side of the work shop and I ran straight for it. I climbed over a couple of the knocked over shelves and saw an upended workbench wobble slightly. I raced over to it to find a pair of legs sticking out from beneath the table. Putting my eskrima to one side I planted my feet and, using the strength in my legs, heaved the workbench to one side lifting it away from the individual underneath. Everyday people would best describe Reggie as an imposing figure. Rough, scowling features with a nose broken one too many times; a sign of deals gone bad one would assume. He was the living image of your stereotypical brutish East London gangster, the ones you see in all the British movies. In this moment however Reggie lay on the floor, covered in blood. He had been the victim of a savage beating. His right eye had practically swollen shut, his lower lip had been spilt several times and the skin around the right side of his jaw had deepened into a dark purple bruise. His knuckles had been scrapped and cut and where now starting to swell. Whatever happened, he put up a fight.

“Reggie!” I shouted as I knelt down next to him. “Reggie can you hear me buddy?”

He let out a shaky groan and tried to move even though it clearly caused him great discomfort.

“Don’t try to move Reggie.” I told him. “Stay still, I’m going to call for help.”

I didn’t want to leave him there, but if I didn’t call for an ambulance quickly there was no telling what could happen. I rummaged through the wreckage of Reggie’s workshop and after a frantic minute of searching, I found the cord that lead to a telephone. I pulled it up out of the rubble, lifting the handset to my ear and checking for a dial tone. By some form of divine intervention, the thing still worked. I dialled emergency services, giving them all the vital information they needed to get here as fast as possible. I hung up and went straight back to Reggie’s side and waited for the paramedics to arrive. A subjective eternity later I finally heard the sound of sirens blearing; they came closer and closer and before too long footsteps were coming towards me. A couple of flashlights began scanning the room.

“Hey!” I shouted. “He’s over there.”

A pair of paramedics rushed over to us and immediately got to work. I stood up and got out of their way. They did their checks, making sure he was still breathing and conscious and responsive. One of the pair, a white man in what I thought to be his mid-twenties, went back outside and returned a couple of minutes later carrying an orange backboard. I helped him make space to place the board on the ground, lifting some of the shelves out of the way and they slowly and carefully rolled Reggie onto the board. They secured him in place with straps over his legs, torso and forehead before lifting him up and with a little assistance, we made it across the ruins of the workshop and back out onto the street. I made sure to retrieve my eskrima before we left. As we made our way outside we were greeted by a couple of uniformed police officers. What had earlier been an empty estate was now filled with an ambulance, a couple of squad cars and a small crowd of onlookers trying to see what all the commotion was about. A stretcher on wheels had been set up just outside the doorway and the paramedics settled Reggie into place. As they began to wheel him into the ambulance the hairs on the back on my neck stood to attention, and my senses all but screamed at me. I felt the pressure of someone’s gaze coming from the direction of the crowd and it only seemed to intensify with each passing second. I scanned through the mob to see a man whose gaze was intensely locked on Reggie. Or on second thought, he wasn’t looking at Reggie at all. I think he was looking at me. He had dark skin, hair closely shaven to his head, a severe expression locked on his features, one of grim determination and possible frustration. He stood about six five, six, six and was, from what I could make out through the glare of the lights, built like line-backer. A light from a touch crossed my vision, blinding me momentarily but when I looked back, he was gone. I looked around the crowd once more but I couldn’t see him. My instincts still cried out, warning me that we were still in danger.

“Sir?” said the male paramedic, snapping me back into focus. I looked at him and he said. “Are you in or out?”

“I’m in.” I said and proceeded to climb into the back of the ambulance.

Sirens screeched to life and we quickly pulled out of the estate, speeding off down the road. As we left my sense of unease lessened. Clearly whoever was watching us decided not to follow us. But a gut feeling isn’t an exact science. Just because I couldn’t sense, couldn’t feel anything didn’t directly mean he wasn’t still there. It just meant that I couldn’t sense the danger. He was still out there, and I knew I would be seeing him again.

Of that I was sure.

 

Racing through the streets of London late at night is only marginally more bearable than it is trying to do it during the day. There are fewer cars on the road but now there were the party goers to contend with. You see there is a certain mind-set that you can only really understand if you’ve lived in a big city. The pedestrian crossings littered across the roads are too slow for some people and they will cross the street as soon as they have the chance regardless of the traffic. It’s a mentality that gets you places but it also causes a lot of accidents. Although I guess there is a certain irony of being knocked down by a speeding ambulance.

I did my best to keep my cool and reign in the collage of emotions battling for ringside seats. A sense of anxiety for Reggie’s wellbeing, anger that someone had hurt him and decimated his place of business, and fear of the unknown, the mystery of the guy in the crowd and what his interest was in the situation. Luckily only a couple of non-vital instruments fizzled out and broke down on the way to the hospital.

The Royal London Hospital located in Whitechapel has been around for close to three hundred years. Albeit under different names and different locations but it has stood the test of time and is possibly one of the largest hospitals in the Greater London area. The sirens continued to whale as we pulled up outside the accident and emergency entrance. The rear doors opened to reveal doctors and nurses waiting to receive us and they were quick to act, setting up to pull the stretcher holding Reggie out of the ambulance. Just before they got him moving, Reggie reached out and grabbed at me desperately, murmuring something under the oxygen mask.

“What is it Reggie?” I asked.

As I moved closer he held up his left hand. It was clenched into a tight fist, his knuckles nearly as white and pale as his features. He placed his hand on mine, passing something to me before closing my hand into a fist similar to his own. The effort of the exchange must have been too much as his arm dropped to his side and the eye not swollen shut, rolled into the back of his head.

“Reggie?” I said, shaking his shoulders trying to rouse a reaction from him. I didn’t get one.

“Alright we need to get him inside now.” Ordered one of the doctors standing outside the ambulance and all the medics sprang back into action.

They pulled Reggie out, lowering the wheels underneath the stretcher and hurried into the building. I began to follow them when I heard a female calling out behind me.

“Gabe.”

I turned to see Louise pacing towards me, still dressed in the same clothes I had seen her in earlier.

“Lou?” I said confused. “What are you doing here?”

“I was driving home when I heard the call over the radio.” She replied. “They said there had been destruction of property and that someone had been seriously hurt. I recognised the address as one of the contacts you gave me.”

“But how did you know I was here?”

“They gave out your description as someone at the scene. I asked for confirmation and they said that you were in an ambulance that was on route here. I came straight over.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” I said. “But they’re taking Reggie in and I’ve gotta be there.”

I started to walk into the building but Louise was quick to stand in my way.

“Wait, Gabe.” She said

“Lou I don’t have time for twenty questions.” I said, impatience sharpening my words like a serrated knife. “Reggie needs my help.”

Once again I went to move but Louise barred my path. She put her hands on my chest, nothing forceful but there was a gentle pressure to stop me.

“Gabe you can’t go in there.” She pleaded.

I froze in place and just glared at Louise. How dare she? She was supposed to be my closest friend, more than that, and she was standing in my way. Anger surged through me. Around us several lights began to flicker. Two lights above the entrance became immensely bright before they exploded, glass and sparks raining down to the floor. I stood there shocked while Louise moved closer towards me, unafraid but concerned.

“This is why you can’t go in there.” She said softly. “Gabe you can break my phone on a good day even when you don’t mean to. You told me it’s all tied into your emotional state. Well if you’re like this out here.” She gestured to the broken lights. “I can’t let you go into a hospital when it might cost someone their life.”

I let out a resigned sigh. She was right. I didn’t realise how badly I was taking this, how little I was in control of my emotions.

“I know you want to help Reggie,” Louise said. She placed a reassuring hand on my left cheek. “But right now the best way for you to help him is by finding out who did this. I will stay here and keep an eye on him.”

“Ok,” I sighed looking back at Louise. Our eyes met briefly but I was quick to break the contact. They say that the eyes are windows to the soul. Well for a Wizard it’s more like the front door. Looking into a Wizard’s eyes for too long can lead into a soulgaze, an unfiltered view of a person’s inner self. You truly see them for who they really are deep down inside without bias. And whatever you see during a soulgaze will stay with you, always, crystal clear at all times. It also happens both ways, they see you for who you truly are. I didn’t want her to see what was inside of me. I cared for her too much.

“I will call as soon as I find something.” I said.

“Get going and catch the bastards.” Louise said and walked off into the hospital.

I had to find out who had done this but I didn’t have a clue where to start. Was the guy from the crowd involved? If he was then why would he go after Reggie like that? But then again if he was involved why would he hang around afterwards? I once again found myself in the situation of having more questions than answers. My fists tightened, my knuckles turning white.

My fist.

No; not my fist. What I was holding _in_ my fist.

Reggie, before they took him away, gave me something. I unclenched my hand and resting in my palm were several grey hairs. Why would Reggie be holding onto some hair, he’s bald?

“It's not _his_ hair you idiot.” I scolded myself for being so slow. Reggie must have gotten them from his attacker. He knew I was on my way over to see him and he held onto the hairs to give to me. He knew what I could do with someone’s hair.

“Ok you son of a bitch,” I said, a wolfish grin spreading across my lips. “Let’s see where you’re hiding.”

 


	7. Chapter 7

As I’ve said before, magic can come in all different shapes and sizes and flavours. You can use it to blow stuff up, hide, trick people or, case in point, find stuff. For what I was about to do I needed a quiet space with as fewer distractions as possible. It wasn’t going to be a particularly difficult spell but it wasn’t in my area of expertise. I took a walk away from the hospital and around the corner to find a nice and empty parking area just off of Stepney Way. There were a few unattended cars dotted here and there but for the most part it was deserted. I located a quiet little spot in a parking space between two cars and got to work. I took a piece of chalk out of my jacket pocket (a standard piece of Wizarding equipment) and drew a circle on the ground around me and willed it closed with a little investment of my power. I sat in the middle of the circle with both my legs crossed, resting the eskrima across my lap. Taking a compass out of another pocket, I tied the grey hairs to the instrument’s small leather cord and placed it on the ground. Thaumaturgy, as I’ve said, is all about creating a link between an object and a source. Give a Wizard a lock of hair or a sample of someone’s blood and they would be able to use that to create a tracking spell that would lead them right to whomever it was they were trying to find. It can also be used in dangerous ways. If someone has something that belongs to you, the aforementioned lock of hair or blood, then they have a direct line straight to you. No ward or protective spell could save you and if that person wanted you dead, you’d be dead. Magic can help you achieve some wonderful things, but there are times it can be downright terrifying.

I sat in the circle, drawing in my will, shaping the spell with my thoughts. Magic circles are helpful in a number of different ways, but in this instance it helped me to contain my magic until the spell was ready. Once it was, I murmured, “ _Molif. Molif Alye_.”

My will rushed out and down onto the compass, the pointer spinning wildly around and around trying to get its bearings. I broke the circle, releasing the spell and it soon settled to point in a north westerly direction.

“Got you.” I said with a certain satisfaction and began to follow the compass.

I walked for several blocks, turning only when the compass indicated. I carried on through the city for a good hour, hour and a half, just following the compasses directions while the circle of life continued to turn in the city around me. People coming and going from their homes, driving past or just going for a night time stroll. The ebb and flow of a big city like this is constant, there is always something happening somewhere. The compass began to swing to my left, directing me through a dark alleyway. As I made my way, the noises of the city started echoing along the narrow passageway, bouncing from wall to wall, becoming a pitch higher and distorted. In the distance a car drove by, its engine sounding like the roar of a beast in the alleyway. Something in my mind started calling to me, telling me that I was in danger and I should be afraid. Something happened causing the driver of the car to hit the brakes hard; the sound of the tyres skidding to a halt screeched loudly but the echo of the alley turned it into something else, like a scream, a terrified primal scream. _My heart was all but pounding out of my chest and I heard the howl of a long dead creature cry out. I felt the air stir against the back of my neck and I reacted; gathering in my will I span on my heels, drawing my eskrima, ready to unleash the red hot power glowing at the rods tip. The alleyway was gone, I was back in that open field with the thunder and lightning crashing above me. Their screams filled the air; bloodthirsty and desperate and close. So, so close, they were starting to choke me, suffocate me. I needed to get away, I needed to run.  But there was nowhere to go. A howl filled with rage erupted over my shoulder and I closed my eyes and braced myself for what was to come._

But nothing came.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, I was back in the alleyway. Looking up and down, I soon realised that there was nothing there. It was empty. I was alone.

My heart was pounding and my breathing was quick and shallow. I looked around, the fire spell I had called was burning with such an intensity, the white hot light had lit up most of the alleyway.  Smoke was starting to curl off my eskrima, but there was definitely nothing there. The car once again roared its engine and sped off into the distance, taking with it the calling in the back of my mind. I lowered my arm and bent down to touch my hand against the alleyway’s floor, trying to ground as much of the spells energy as possible as I released it. I felt the magic drain out of me and flow harmlessly into the earth.

I took a moment to once again get my breathing and heartbeat under control. It took a while but eventually everything started to go back to normal.

“Get a hold of yourself Gabe.” I chided myself.

I looked down at the compass and the spell I had worked onto it was still going strong, still leading me to my target. I let out a big sigh and pushed myself back up to my feet. It would be better if I kept moving, the spell wouldn’t last forever and I just wanted to get this over with. After finishing composing myself, I set off down the alley and continued to follow the compass.

I walked for another few blocks when the pin of the compass started to sway back and forth as I passed Judd Street Park. It’s a little park just south of Kings Cross and St. Pancras train stations. Surrounded by blocks of flats and shops, during the day it can be nice place to visit, to get outdoors and enjoy the weather. But at night there is very little in the way of illumination and with it being the height of summer and with the trees in full bloom, let’s just say that it’s the type of area you don’t want to get caught in after dark.

I walked up and down the street a couple of times and around the corner just to make sure the bearings were correct but each time I moved the compass pointed directly at the park. Putting away the compass, I readied my eskrima and made my way to the entrance. Just as I did, someone let out a terrified scream that reverberated through the empty streets. The echoing made it hard to pin point where the scream came from put I was pretty certain that it came from the park. I didn’t waste time finding the entrance and instead hopped over the waist high railings, the tall trees blanketing my presence with shadow. In the centre of the green was a gathering of about seven people spilt into two small groups. The first was made up of three men, all built like fire trucks, all dressed in complete back, surrounding a feeble looking old man wearing what appeared to be grey robes. The elderly man had long grey hair that seemed to blend in with a long beard of matching colour. He looked incredibly frail. The black clad men circled the older man as he brandished an aged oak staff, feebly attempting to hold off his attackers. The second group where standing to one side, staying out of the way. Two fairly built masculine forms, dressed in black turtlenecks and black everything stood either side of a woman, holding onto her arms. The woman looked panicked and I could hear her sobbing; she was clearly frightened and afraid. But all that aside, there was something about this woman that just made her standout, even in the darkened park. She wore a pair of fitted light blue denim jeans, white trainers and a red tee-shirt that stopped just above her navel. Her skin was pale but in a way that added to her beauty, her red hair curled to her shoulders like spiralling fire that stood in contrast to her skin yet it demanded affectionate attention. The details didn’t stop there. The angling of her cheek bones, the slenderness of her waist, and the curve of her breasts…what the hell was going on here? People are being attacked and I’m checking someone out while hiding in a bush. It was a struggle, but I pulled my eyes away from the woman and concentrated on everyone else other than her.

The turtlenecks were Fomor Servitors. Humans turned into supernatural thugs by their masters. From what I’ve been able to gather about these guys form past dealings, they have night-vision, so the fact that it’s the middle of the night meant nothing to them. They’re tough, but they didn’t know I was here, I still had the element of surprise on my side. Which was great seeing as it was five on one. I looked on intently trying to see if there was anything I could use to my advantage. How they were holding themselves, if any of them was weak or injured, anything in my surroundings that I could use. Thoughts and plans raced back and forth in my mind when I suddenly spotted a pattern to how they were moving. As they circled the old man I noticed that they were in a triangular formation, they were all equal distance from the old man at all times regardless of his attempts to fend them off. The sick bastards were toying with him. What stood out to me was that as they looped around, they over lapped each other and that a well-timed shot could take two of them down at once. The adrenaline was starting to flow and I could feel my heart beat speeding up as I drew in my will. I knelt down on one knee and levelled my eskrima at the Servitors, trying my best to keep the rod steady.

They looped around once.

I slowed my breathing to counter-act the sway.

Twice.

I held in my breath, readying my spell.

Three times.

I exhaled and snarled, “ _Vilya_!”

The Servitors froze in place and all heads whipped around to my direction as a column of air hammered into the first thug like a freight train and sent him barrelling back into the second. Both men sailed back until they were swallowed by the darkness of the trees on the other side of the park and landed with squeals of pain. I was already up and moving when my spell hit, trying to keep myself hidden for as long as possible. It was working, for now. The thugs scowled into the darkness trying to identify where the shot came from and from who. I stopped to hide behind a tree, using it as cover against the Servitor’s night-vision. It was an advantage that these guys had over me, but one that I could counter with a bit of luck. I waited a couple of heart beats before peering around the tree at the henchmen. They had stopped toying with the old man and held him next to the female prisoner, leaving one free to roam around. As he stalked through the park he made a weird clicking noise that seemed to be coming from this throat. Sonar, I keep forgetting about the sonar. It’s not bad enough that they are stronger, can breathe under water and have night-vision; they also have sonar, the ability to locate things by sound and listening for the echoes. But their sonar would have a hard time picking me out amongst all the trees in the park. No one was looking in my current direction which meant they hadn’t seen me yet. Pressing my advantage, I moved away from my hiding spot and as stealthily as I could, thinking quiet thoughts the whole time, made my way towards the captors and their victims. I moved closer, taking it one step at a time, freezing in place the moment I thought someone was about to look my way, until I was only a couple of feet away. I began to build up my will when suddenly there was a snapping noise that echoed against the silence. I froze in horror as I looked down to see a thin branch had broken in two under the weight of my right foot. I lifted my gaze in time to see the two Servitor abductors turning their attention to me. Quickly, I raised my right hand, channelled the will I had been calling up through the leather strapping on my waist, closed my eyes and cried, “ _Tiri Kalina_.”

The six silver discs blazed with an intensely bright blue-white light. It lasted only two seconds but it was bright enough that I could see the light even through closed eyelids. The Servitors cried out in pain, their senses overloaded by the sudden intense illumination. I opened my eyes, quickly getting my bearings straight to see that the thugs were both doubled over in pain, their hands either over their eyes or on the side of their head as if they were trying to keep it from exploding. I fed more of my will through to my silver rings, creating an invisible wall of energy, the size of a door, and rushed at the Servitor next to the woman. I made the wall as solid as I could and collided with the black clad brute. I’m not a particularly heavy guy in comparison but momentum has a way of manipulating mass in some interesting ways. The force of the impact lifted him a couple of feet off of the ground and before he could land, I dropped the wall, aimed my eskrima and roared “ _Vilya_.”

My will called forth another column of air that hit the Servitor square in in the chest, sending him spiralling off into the patrolling thug. The force of the spell sent them both tumbling into a tree with a solid thud. Out the corner of my eye I caught the reflection of moonlight on a metallic surface and jumped back in time to narrowly miss the arching swing of a machete. The weapon hit the ground, biting a couple of inches into the soil. The final turtleneck lifted the blade effortlessly from the ground and swung the machete at me in a scything motion. I dropped down into a roll, the blade passing over me, cutting the air with a _swoosh_ , and I came up on one knee just behind him. Being this close to my attacker meant magic wasn’t going to help me, so instead I jammed the end of the eskrima into the back of his kneecap eliciting a cry of pain as the thug dropped to his knees. Pressing the attack, I rose to my feet and got the Servitor’s head under my arm, his back arching at an awkward angle, and shifted my weight back causing his neck to make a crunching snap. His arms dropped and the blade fell to the ground. With a huff, I shoved the motionless body to one side. I couldn’t hear any movement coming from the other Servitors and I took a moment to catch my breath.

My heart was pounding and my hands began to shake with the adrenaline still circling through my system. I took a couple of deep breathes, trying to steady myself. Movement registered in my peripheral vision and I fought to keep my head from turning too quickly, I didn’t want them to know that I was still on edge after the fight. The old man shuffled over with the redhead in tow. A quick glance showed me that he was holding onto her arm, his fingers locked in an iron grip. She still looked petrified.

“My, young man,” the old man said, his voice deep but slightly fragile. “That was quite the display. I’m not truly sure how, but you saved the life of my granddaughter,” his eyes glared at the woman with rage for a fraction of a millisecond before looking at me again. “And I.”

I didn’t respond. Instead I simply continued to stare at the old man. And his grey hair.

“Well,” he said trying to end the uncomfortable silence. “Thank you for your assistance. But it is late and we really shouldn’t stay here.”

He began to walk away, marshalling the woman with a seemingly gentle push. I only caught her eyes for a brief moment, but they all but screamed at me. I raised my eskrima and aimed it at the old man.

“Don’t. Fucking. Move.” I said, the words came out in a slow and vicious tone that I barely even recognised as being my own.

“W…what are you doing?” The old man cried, completely surprised by my reaction. “What is the meaning of this?”

“I wasn’t out here looking for crimes to solve or people to save.” I said, my tone as cold as I could make it. “I came here looking for the person who hurt an acquaintance of mine, a person with grey hair. So how about it Gramps? You missing a few?”

Something in the old man changed instantly. His expression, that of a frightened elder, just melted away into a confident glare of malcontent. He straightened his spine and drew back his shoulders. He no longer looked like a frail old man but instead more like an evil version of Gandalf. It was a change that made him a completely different person and I suddenly realised that my earlier assessment was wrong. The Servitors weren’t toying with him, he was toying with them.

“This is not about you Wizard.” Evil Gandalf snarled. “Do not involve yourself in matters that are above you.”

“You come to my city and attack someone I know, I’m already involved. From where I stand the only person not involved in matters here is the girl. Now let her go. It’s already bad for you, don’t go making it worse.”

“You will not hurt me.” He said, his tone seemingly mocking. “Your own Laws won’t let…”

I growled a word and a thin lance of fire flew from the rod and narrowly missed his head, singeing a few of his long grey hairs. Evil Gandalf glared at me, pure hatred burning in his eyes.

“The Laws won’t let me kill humans with magic,” I said. “But something tells me that won’t be a problem here.” I tried to keep my voice steady and hard but it was getting harder by the second. I had worked a lot of serious magic today and had not given myself the time to recover. I was running low with not a great deal left in the tank. But that wasn’t the only thing that was getting to me. This guy knew about me and of the Laws of Magic, seven laws intended to prevent the abuse of magic, and protect wizards and normal humans from harmful magic. A Wizard violating the Laws, on purpose or unknowingly, was deemed to be a warlock. Being found guilty of violating the Laws had dire consequences, and the punishment sentenced by the White Council and its Wardens was often death. He knew all this and I still had no freakin’ clue who or what he was. I could see it in his scowling eyes that were intently focused on me. He watched me with a determination that you only get with experience and he looked like he had a lot of it. There was no telling what he was capable of and there wasn’t much left in me to keep fighting.

I felt myself lower my arm, the weight of the weapon suddenly becoming too much to carry.

What was the point of fighting this guy anyway? Reggie’s wards were powerful, and the man himself is no pushover, but that didn’t stop him. He beat Reggie within an inch of his life. An image flashed in my mind of Reggie lying on the ground where I had found him, all bloodied a bruised. He also completely wrecked the workshop and now he was looking right at me. What could I do against that? On a good day I might have held my own but right now, like this? 

Slowly I dropped to my knees, lowering myself to rest on the back of my heels, the effort of standing making my legs ache.

I couldn’t protect Reggie, protect his livelihood and the man responsible stood in front of me, glaring defiantly. I’ve got the Fomor constantly trying to invade the city, Marcus continuously trying to find ways to make my life difficult, and we’re meant to be on the same side for crying out loud. This shit keeps happening over and over again and whatever I do doesn’t make a damn bit difference. What’s the point? Why do I even bother? And now this woman, another innocent, will be hurt because I wasn’t strong enough. Even Louise, my oldest and closet friend, had been hurt because of me. The one person I care about more than any one and I let the Vampires take her. Another mental picture showed me Louise being held by big black beasts, her expression frozen in a silent scream, vampires biting into her neck, arms, any exposed flesh. I let her down and what’s to say something worse won’t happen next time?

“ _That doesn’t mean we stop trying._ ” Louise’s voice said inside my head. “ _What matters is that we do the best we can_.”

I felt a sudden pressure on my thoughts, a pressure I hadn't even realised was there, begin to weaken and crack.

I couldn’t give up, not now, not with that son of a bitch just glowering at me. He had already hurt my friend and he was going to hurt the woman. I didn’t know why but I was sure of it and if I let that happen then I would truly never forgive myself.

The pressure in my mind began to crumble and I abruptly realised what was going on. My mind was under attack. None of these thoughts and feelings belonged to me. I didn’t even feel it happening. I had never felt anything that subtle, that absolute before and it scared the hell out of me. This arsehole may know about Wizards but he didn’t know me, didn’t know what I was capable of. Rule number one; you don’t piss off a Wizard.

I infused my words with what will I had left, filling it with all the fear and anger inside me and snarled, “Get. The fuck. Out. Of. My head!”

Evil Gandalf let out a cry of surprise and his head reeled back like he had just been slapped in the face. I slowly climbed back to my feet, using the eskrima as an aid. The old man just stared at me in shock. He clearly wasn’t expecting me to break free from his mental attack. I raised my rod and aimed it at him once more.

“Last chance,” I said, my voice trembling slightly from the effects of his assault. “Let the woman go.”

Swifter than I could track, he produced a knife from beneath his robe and held it against the woman’s throat. She started to whimper, her eyes widening in fear. He pulled her in close to him, placing the woman directly between the two of us.

“Not another step Wizard.” he said. “You make any move upon me and she will die. Lower your weapon.”

I didn’t move but I didn’t lower my rod either.

“If you meant to kill the girl you would’ve done it already.” I said trying to bate him into giving me a clear shot. I was also making one hell of a gamble. “And from what I can tell you wouldn’t have needed the knife to do it.”

“No I wouldn’t,” he said “But it is a lot more fun.”

He moved the hand holding the knife drawing blood and a yelp of pain from his captive.

“Wait!” I cried holding my hands palm up, slowly kneeing down and my placing my eskrima on the ground. “I’m putting the rod down ok, just don’t hurt her.”

“You mortals are so easy to bend to our will.” He said, his deep voice trembling with barely contained hatred.

Stars and pain exploded in my vision as something hit me hard on the back of my head, knocking me down to the ground. Neither my arms nor my legs responded to my commands for a few seconds as I tried to climb my way back to my feet. I looked up in time to see what I thought to be a viper streak towards my face and then the world went black.

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

There are some mornings that you wish you had just stayed in bed, pulled the covers over your head and ignored the world in hopes it would just go away. Instead I found myself chained to a chair in some dingy room with only one door and someone punching me in the face.

“Please,” I said, spitting blood out of my mouth “Don’t hold up your plans on account of little old me.”

“Oh but I do,” the voice replied, “You see once you have told me everything you know, revealed all your secrets; I want you to see your final moments coming. So you can have a sense of honour at the end.”

I swallowed down an overwhelmingly strong urge to scream in fear. The man walked out from behind me and I finally got a good look at him. He was huge. I didn’t mean that in a ‘my god he’s fat’ kind of way, I meant that he was built like a bull, all muscle, with muscle on top. There was a power behind every step, every motion this bulking giant made. I mean I keep myself in shape but this guy? His right bicep alone was nearly as big as my waist. He was bald and the light drizzling from the bulb dimly reflected off his dark skin. He wore a white sleeveless vest that looked to be struggling to contain his broad chest. His hands were covered in scars and abrasions and it scared the hell out of me. I hadn’t been the only one who had gotten punched in the face and it looked like he was only just getting warmed up.

“I have to apologise for Botis,” he said in a deep rumbling voice. It sounded like he had an American accent. “He only really knows how to go for the kill.” I had no clue as who he was talking about. I could only assume he was referring to the one who had sneaked up on me at the park.

“Good help’s hard to find.” I replied. I couldn’t help it but a nervous laugh bubbled out along with the statement. It was countered with one of his bolder like fists colliding with my jaw.

“Oh he is good at what he does,” The bulking man said as he started to walk around me. “The many that have bled to death are beyond counting. He just hasn’t got a lot of self-restraint.”

“He’s not the only one.” I said, spitting more blood out of my month. “I can’t say your bedside manner is worth recommending to my friends.” That comment earned me a shot to the other side of my jaw.

“I have to say I like you Wizard,” He said with a deep chuckle, circling back out in front of me. “There are not many who would be so candid if they were in a situation like yours. It’s almost refreshing.” On the last word The Incredible Bulk delivered a heavy blow to my gut. The air rushed out of me and I was left coughing and gasping for breath, my lungs burning with the enforced exhalation.

“No one knows you’re here,” He said as he continued walking around me. I swear I could almost hear the smile on his face. “No one is coming to your rescue. There is no one here but you, me and old father time. There have been many in this situation before you. Some were weak and some tried to play it tough, but eventually they all sang like the morning bird. They all told me everything I needed to know and more. Oh the secrets I have learnt over the countless millennia, they could make even the most devout blush.”

Millennia? So many that he’s lost count? Just what the hell was this guy? I would have to shelf that question until after I had escaped. While Bulk continued with his monologue, I looked around me for anything that could help me, a lose nail, a spare key, hell I would even take help from Marcus right about now if it meant getting out of here. There was nothing. It was all down to me. If I could get at least one hand free it could make all the difference. I gave the manacles a gentle tug, testing their limits. There was enough give in the links for a _very_ well placed and highly accurate application of magic that hopefully wouldn’t also take my hand with it. I began to build up my will, to shape it into a pinpoint blast needed to break the chains. Suddenly an intense cold washed through me, icy needle points dug into the flesh of my wrists shattering any and all concentration I had gathered for the spell. I exhaled a pained and frustrated breath. Bulk eyed me suspiciously for a moment but a smile spread across his lips when realisation set in.

“Your magic won’t help you Wizard.” He said “Those manacles come in handy when dealing with your kind.”

Shit. They were Thorn manacles, restraints designed to prevent anyone from using magic. I’ve read the after action reports from Warden’s who had found the bodies of Wizards being held prisoner during the war with the Red Court. I don’t think anyone really knows for certain where they come from. Some say they were created by a fallen angel others say they were made by faeries. Bulk was right, these manacles made me magically impotent; if I called upon my will at any time the restraints would attack with the same kind of ice cold pain. But if they truly were crafted by faeries then they had a weakness. No creature or substance from the land of the Fae can stand the touch of iron or anything with traces of iron. I just needed to get my hands on some but my current dilemma made that seem like an impossible task.

“But I have talked too much,” Bulk announced as he walked up to the door and pounded his fists against it three times. The door unlocked with a heavy metallic _thunk_ and opened. A man walked in, around five ten, five eleven, hair closely shaven to his scalp, his features were rough with a rugged amount of stubble and he was athletically built. He wore only a pair of dark denim jeans and work boots leaving his muscular upper body bare. His torso and arms were covered in tattoos; on his chest was the image of what looked like a viper coiled up, ready to strike. Tattoos depicting scales ran the length of each arm where it formed into a pair of snake heads around his fists.

This must be Botis.

Botis stalked into the room carrying a fold up stand and a tray with a white cloth draped over it. He set up the stand on the ground and rested the tray on top, all while never taking his eyes off me.

“Aren’t you done toying with him yet Morax?” Botis snapped in a harsh East London accent much like Reggie’s, only with less cockney rhyming slang.

Morax. So now I had two names.

Morax just looked back at me and his smile widened showing his teeth. “Oh the fun is only just starting.” He replied, pulling the cloth away from the tray. I wish he hadn’t. A number of implements, counter intuitive to ones wellbeing, were laid out on the tray. Lying across them was my eskrima. He picked up the rod first and began to inspect it.

“This isn’t bad,” Morax rumbled. “For a mortal weapon that is. It could use a little refinement, but you’re only young. Powerful, but young.”

“Why don’t you let me out of these chains and I’ll show you how powerful I am.” I shot back.

Morax’s smile only deepened. “Oh I am going to have such fun with you Wizard. The secrets you’re going to tell me…”

“Enough.” Growled Botis, interrupting my captor in mid-sentence. “Lilith wants answers.” He continued glowering at Morax until the bigger man (or thing. In truth I didn’t know what he was.) let out a heavy sigh.

“I guess it’s time to go to work.”

 

Time passed. At least I assumed it did. The only time I could measure were the few precious seconds between Morax’s ‘conversations’, when he would trade one torture tool for the next. When my throat filled up with blood and I couldn’t scream anymore, his laughing and heavy breathing filled the silence. Pain was the only true sensation. Second to that was the piercing cold from the manacles when reflex kicked in and I tried to reach for my magic. I am no stranger to pain; I fought a war, survived the final bloody battle against the Red Court, I watched them die and I have the scars to prove it. However this situation made me realise something; I knew nothing about pain, not really. Morax was relentless. He knew the limits of the human body and he used that knowledge, causing the maximum amount of agony any mortal could take and all the while he kept asking me what I knew about them, of their plans and what I knew about the woman. I didn’t always hear the questions, sometimes they were drowned out by my tormented screams. Occasionally I was allowed a sense of peace, where I passed out and nothing would hurt anymore but they were short lived interludes. I was always brought back to the pain and the agony and the fear and the soundtrack of Morax laughing. And this went on and on and on, Morax shouting questions at me while a blade cut my arm or a stake perforated my abdomen. Time was an illusion. Pain was the only true sensation.

 

“I’ll give you this Wizard,” Morax rumbled, wiping my blood from his fist with a cloth. “You are more stubborn and resistant than you look.”

“What this?” I said dazedly through swollen lips. I coughed a couple of times, choking on blood. “This is me being chatty.”

For the first time throughout our ‘conversation’ a flicker of anger sparked behind his dark eyes. Somehow, despite the major concussion and other severe injuries, that reaction gave me a little insight into Morax and what drove him. For him, this wasn’t about finding out what I knew anymore, he no longer cared what he got out of me, he just needed to get something. That expression may have been only slight, but it spoke volumes. He had never been denied information before, not while doing what he does best. He was pulling out his best moves and being left unsatisfied. That look told me that he had had people literally dying to tell him everything they knew long before now and that my defiance was something that he couldn’t let stand. He couldn’t let his whole reputation, a reputation that I had no doubt, had been built over the countless millennia, be tarnished by some punk Wizard. My insolence had made this personal for him. It was more about pride than anything else.

Rational minds would have been terrified by that realisation. Me, I could only laugh. And I did. Loudly.

Morax glowered at me. “What are you finding so funny?”

“It’s either laugh or cry,” I said, my laugh winding down into a chuckle. “Something tells me you’re not use to being denied second base.”

His glare deepened to something monstrous.

“I mean sure, you whip out all your fancy tools and I bet usually you have them screaming in no time. Then you toss them away when you’re done, but me, I’m looking for more of a commitment.”

A growl bubbled from his throat into a loud roar of anger as he lashed out, striking me a couple of times to the side of my head with those huge paws. Stars swam across my vision and I tried to shake them off, spitting yet more blood out of my mouth onto the floor in Morax’s direction.

“No one makes time for foreplay anymore.”

Morax grabbed me by the throat, his huge hand locking around my neck.

"Tell me what I want to know!" He roared "Tell me and I will let you die!"

Truth is I knew nothing. I had no idea who or what the hell Morax or his friends were and I knew even less about the redhead they abducted. All that needed doing was to tell them I didn’t know anything and the hurting would have stopped. Yeah right. This psychopath would have tortured me anyway for the sheer fun of it. No, there was no way out of this situation for me. No one was coming to my rescue, no one was going perform an eleventh hour save and pull my arse out of the fire. These guys were going to kill me one way or another and I’ll be damned if I make it a happy ending for them.

“Kiss my arse.” I croaked.

An explosion of rage and malice lit up his eyes. He reached back, took a hold of my eskrima and with another bellowing roar brought it down hard across my face. Pain detonated in a shower of stars that filled my vision and then things were peaceful.

The torment stopped.

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

People say they experience things when they are unconscious. Each account different, each one more ludicrous than the last. Some say they have an out of body experience and just watch their unconscious selves until they wake up, while others say they have conversations with long dead relatives or Elvis. For me I’m usually just out of it, not really experiencing anything other than a total gap of time that I can’t account for.

Usually.

This time however I was standing under a bright circular spot light, roughly fifteen meters wide, that shone from some unidentified source. Beyond the edge of the spot light there was nothing but total darkness in every direction, completely bereft of anything. I didn’t like where this was going. I stood in the centre of the illumination, waiting for something to happen, searching the black lifeless void beyond the light.

“Hello?” I called out. My voice echoed around the emptiness, sounding everywhere and nowhere at the same time. “Ollie, ollie oxen free?”

A shiver ran down my spine and then I finally realised that I was still topless. The rings on my left hand were gone and I didn’t have my wrist strap. All I was left with were my jeans and boots. What really stood out was the fact that all the injuries I had sustained from the torture were gone. There were no knife marks or puncture wounds or any visible signs of harm. They had all simply vanished.

The sound of footsteps reverberated from the void and I looked up to try and find the source. From the darkness came a woman that looked as if she had just walked straight out of a fashion magazine. She walked towards me, the motion graceful, bordering on carnal. Every step slow and deliberate, drawing any searching eye from her long toned legs all the way up to her hips. She wore a white robe wrapped around her like a toga that fell just above mid-thigh, much to my libido’s approval, tied with a golden cord that pulled the robe in close to her waist. As she walked closer to the light I began to notice more and more details. Her hair washed down to her shoulders in golden waves, glowing brightly against the darkness, framing the smooth features of her jaw line. Her eyes were the colour of a blue summer’s sky and her soft, sensual, pouting lips made my mind race with thoughts, made me wonder how they would feel pressed against mine…

With a herculean amount of effort, I tore my eyes away from the approaching woman, reeling back slightly as I did, panting. She stopped two or three feet away and just watched me with neutral sky blue eyes.

“Most men would fight to the death for just a small glimpse of me.” She said inquisitively, her tone well-mannered like a lady of high society. “Yet you struggle to look away.”

“You’re not my type.” I growled. “Who are you and what the hell is going on here?”

“This is, shall we say, a meeting of the minds.” She answered. Her gaze was steady, patient but they never wondered from me. “Morax let his temper get the better of him. He was rather frustrated with you being less than forthcoming. There are not many people who have kept secrets from Morax.”

“So he’s used to disappointment then?” I said. “There I was thinking I was special.”

“Oh you are. The others who had denied him so died far quicker than anyone expected.” She said as she began a slow, sensual walk around me.

“You said this was a meeting of the minds. What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“When Morax lashed out he knocked you unconscious. The wounds he inflicted upon you had taken their toll and it was clear that you were not going to awaken for some time. I am using my talents to enter your subconscious while my people attend to your physical self. Even as we speak here, they are cleaning and dressing your wounds.”

That made me frown for a moment, but it did explain why I didn’t have a scratch on me and why I was feeling relatively refreshed.

“If we’re in my mind,” I said. “Why am I only half dressed?”

“That would be my influencing I’m afraid.” She responded. She raised an eyebrow and her lips formed into a playful little smile “It would be remiss of me if I didn’t say the sight of you unblemished isn’t unpleasing.”

I would be lying if I said that smile didn’t drive my libido wild with need. There’s that primal part in all our brains that kicks common sense out of the driving seat and replaces it with the most basic of desires. Louise and I were a lot closer now than we had been in years but there are still some things that I haven’t done for quite a while. Being with someone, holding them close, feeling their flesh pressed against mine, the taste of their lips. Those deep blue eyes and red lips promised to give me all of that and more. All I needed to do was give in to that need, that desire, let my primal urges free and I would want for nothing. The toga wasn’t covering much and it would be the easiest thing in the world to untie, to reveal what was hidden underneath. All I had to do was act. Hell this was my mind after all. I could make her do whatever I damn well pleased.

But she knew that. Whoever she was, she knew that if I let my mind give in to her I was done for, I would be nothing more than her puppet.

I fought to keep my big brain in control for a little bit longer and as I did, certain details fell into place.

“I get it,” I announced. “Your buddy Morax was bad cop and you’re here to play good cop. Sooth my soul with your come hither eyes and sex on a plate outfit. You’re cute lady, but you’re not _that_ cute and you sure as hell wouldn’t be the lady of my dreams.” Her lips evened out and her eyes once again became neutral and calculating as I continued. “Now I’ll ask you once again, who the hell are you?”

“My name, is Lilith.” She answered.

“Lilith, Morax, Botis. I’m starting to understand a theme here, taking the names of fallen angels. It’s a little creepy if you ask me, but then I am hardly one to cast that stone.”

“The names are ours and we give them to no one.” Lilith shot a glare at me, her tone of someone explaining something to a child, that of forced patience. “Pretenders rise up every so often, claiming themselves our true incarnation. They rarely last a year. For one who has survived banishment from the garden, those false idols are little more than an irritation.”

“Banishment from the garden? What the hell…” I started to ask but then it all fell into place like a jigsaw puzzle. A giant shit scary, stomach turning, knee trembling jigsaw puzzle. Lilith’s eyes gleamed as she saw the comprehension in my face.

“You now see the truth Wizard.”

“Wait,” I protested. “Lilith? The Lilith? As in Adam’s first wife?”

“One in the same.” Lilith purred as she continued to stare at me with those blue eyes.

“But that’s impossible. The coins…”

She interrupted me with a delightful sounding laugh. “Please. We are not cast offs. We are not some lowly parasite that can be trapped in a piece of silver, praying on the weak minded.”

She knew who I was talking about. I had heard about a band of fallen angels who were imprisoned in a set of silver Roman denarius. Seriously bad news...let me get back to you about them after my head has had a chance to catch up with what's actually happening. One thing was clear though, I was in way over my head. I needed a plan, a miracle, some form of divine intervention (seems appropriate) to get out of this mess. “What would a group of fallen angels be doing in London?” I asked. My voice was unavoidably shaky. Just needed to keep her talking, find out as much as I can.

Lilith finally took her eyes off me and once again started to walk in a circle around me, staying within the light.

“Come now Gabriel, I should be the one asking you all the questions.”

What the…? She knew my name? I must not have been able to hide surprise from my face as Lilith looked at me and once again displayed that luscious smile.

“Yes that’s right Gabriel, I know who you are and I am learning more about you by the second. Wizard of the White Council, respected by your peers within the Wardens, well most of your peers. The Warden Commander, Marcus Glacier, he doesn’t like you very much does he?”

She was playing me. The connection she made for us to speak like this, Lilith was using it to read my thoughts and the longer she stayed the more information she was going to get. Keeping her talking was a bad idea. I hate it when my plans backfire.

“Get out of my head!” I demanded.

“But why?” She asked letting out another playful laugh. “There are so many interesting things here. Let’s see,” Lilith closed her eyes as she started to go through my memories as if she was flicking through the pages of a book. “So that’s what happened to those rodents of the Red Court. I had always wondered about their sudden demise and it looks like you had a front row seat.”

Images flashed through my thoughts. The gleam of moon light on sharp, white fangs. Inhuman blood flowing like waterfalls, pouring from fatal wounds. Dark power hanging over me, nearly suffocating all within its reach. Piercing howls and clashing magic almost deafening in their ferocity.

The memory hit me like a physical blow, dropping me down to one knee. I let out a grunt of pain as I tried to fight back the tide of ghostly visions and keep them from overwhelming me entirely. Slowly I rose back to my feet as Lilith continued to read through my mind.

“Seems to me like you still have some repressed feelings to work through. What else have we got…” She paused and her eyebrows shot up. “Now this?” Lilith opened her eyes again and looked at me. “Louise Wheeler. My, such strong feelings for this one.”

“Stop.” I growled.

Lilith ignored me and continued talking, joy in her tone. “My, what you would do for this mortal, _too_ this mortal. It is almost enough to make me blush.”

“I said _stop_!” I yelled. My emotions got the better of me and I lashed out, taking a swing at Lilith, but I hit nothing. There was no smoke, no shimmer or anything. One moment she was there and the next she just simply wasn’t. My head jerked from side to side to see where Lilith had vanished to.

“Why that is not very gentlemanly of you Gabriel.” Said a feminine voice from behind me. I span on my heel to find Lilith barely a couple of inches away, close enough for me to feel her warm breath on my skin. It stirred a deep desire that made me want to take Lilith and pin her to the ground. To feel her body beneath mine, to feel it move with mine.

“It does not have to be this way Gabriel.” She said softly as she placed her right hand on my bare chest. My body shivered as I felt her warm touch. “I’d rather no further harm came to you or to any of those that you hold dear. To do so would be to provoke someone who I would like to consider an ally.”

“Uh, what?” I asked in a somewhat bemused fashion. What can I say? I have an answer for all occasions.

Lilith displayed yet another playful smile that promised far more pleasures than anyone could possibly understand. It made my mind swim with carnal emotions and I wanted nothing more than to taste her lips.

“You are powerful Gabriel. Far more than most give you credit for. Morax was mistaken in his approach, to think you nothing more than one of the cattle. If you let me, I can show you more. Teach you things that have long been lost to your kind.”

“Things?” I asked dazed. Her scent filling my senses, sending provocative thoughts racing through my mind.

“Power,” She said. “The kind that has toppled kings and rulers, laid waste to armies and protected nations. And it could all be yours Gabriel.”

“More power?” I murmured.

“Yes power,” She responded. “Enough power that you will no longer have to answer to the likes of Marcus Glacier and his ilk. They will all bow down to you and I will be there at your side.”

The thought of ramming a fireball down Marcus’ throat had always appealed to me on general principle, but that had never really been ‘Plan A’ in dealing with him. Besides the years of experience he had on his side, he was always accompanied by four or five ‘loyal’ Wardens wherever he went. If it came down to a fight I could take two of them, I was sure enough about my power and abilities for that to be a possibility, but the rest would be on me in seconds. I would never survive. But with the knowledge of a fallen angel backing me, the outcome would be significantly different. With that kind of power even the Senior Council wouldn’t stand a chance. I could rule the White Council. I could actually get shit done without having to always seek permission from fools and bureaucrats. People coming into their magic could get the help they needed, they could learn to control their power before it went too far, before they were branded a Warlock and executed. I could save lives.

And if anyone stepped out of line, if anyone disobeyed me, challenged my rule they would not live long enough to regret it.  All that power and all for the low, low price of my soul. Some deep, dark primal part of me wanted to lose myself in Lilith’s offer, to just take her and revel in the power. It really, _really_ wanted it.

“Lilith.” I said, placing my hands on the soft skin of her shoulders.

“Yes, that’s it.” She responded moving in closer to me.

Her lips were barely a hairs width from mine. My inner caveman was screaming at me to take her but before our lips touched I whispered, “Blow me.”

Lilith let out a small gasp of surprise as I pushed away from her, still holding onto her shoulders. Her wide eyes filled with shock and incomprehension.

“Like I said, you’re cute, but you're not that cute.”

She continued to stare at me, seemingly unable to decide on a suitable emotion or how to react. I guess Lilith wasn’t used to being rejected. Her eyes flickered from confusion to seething hate and my body erupted with pain taking the air out of my lungs and the strength from my legs. I fell to the floor unable to speak or move as the crippling agony spread through me like a wild fire and all I could do was struggle to catch my breath.

“That pain, that suffering,” She spat, venom dripping from the edge of every word. “That is the sensation of all your hurts, past and present, all at once. My offer was genuine Gabriel. You could have ruled the hairless apes that walk this world but instead you throw it back in my face.”

I tried to gather my will, to shield me from Lilith’s influence but every time I felt the plunging coldness of the manacles restraining my physical body, piercing my concentration.

“I will tear your mind apart until I find what I need.” Lilith screamed. “You will be nothing more than a drooling mess, a shattered reflection in a broken mirror. Not even your precious mortal woman will love you once I am done.”

It’s hard to say what happened but something in me just snapped. I don’t know if it was the mention of Louise, or because she made it personal, or if it was the fact that I had a friggin’ fallen angel trying to mind rape me, to twist and distort my thoughts and memories into her own demented chew toy. But the pain, as excruciating as it was, meant nothing to me anymore. I got my arms and legs under me and with a roar of defiance, I heaved myself to my feet. Lilith’s gaze wavered back and forth between fury and disbelief.

“This is my mind.” I said through gritted teeth. “You don’t get to make the rules here.”

I moved my left leg in a slow, agonising step toward Lilith. Then I moved my right leg. Then my left again. With each step my muscles screamed at me to stop, but each step brought me closer to that _bitch_. Lilith began to shuffle back away from me until her back was pressed against the edge of the spotlight like it was a physical wall.

“How? How are you doing this?” She cried, straining to keep exerting her authority over my mind, to keep the pain flooding in.

“You’ve looked into my mind Lilith,” I said. My lips spread into a strained but wolfish smile. “You already know the answer.” Truth is, I didn’t have a clue; but I wasn’t about to question it.

Once I got close enough I reached out with my right hand and grabbed Lilith by the throat. She let out a gasp, her concentration crumbled away and my agony subsided. I exhaled in relief as the pain washed away.

“This is my mind.” I said once again. I looked right into her eyes as they widened in shock. “You’re not welcome here.” With my hand still gripping her throat, I pulled her in closer to me. “I’ll tell you what I told your bearded friend; get the fuck out of my head!”

I channelled all my anger and pushed Lilith out into the darkness. The blackness beyond the light shattered, as if I had just pushed her through a window, and a bright white light bathed us. Its intensity grew and washed everything away.

 

Everything snapped back into focus and I found myself lying in a cot against the wall of the interrogation room, my breath coming out fast and sharp. E _verything_ hurt again which meant I was awake. It didn’t hurt like it did before, when Lilith had control of my mind, this was more like a dull ache. Lilith had been truthful about her people patching me up as I felt the bandages around my torso and arms and from what I saw at a quick glance, all of the blood had been washed away. I did however still have a Thorn manacle securing my right hand, the side of the body that expels power, to the cot. My left hand, for whatever reason, had been left unbound. Maybe it was to make it easier for them to clean my wounds? The more likely reason was because no one expected me to break free of Lilith’s mental whammy. I looked around to see Lilith slumped back in a chair in the centre of the room, her eyes distant and unfocused. Botis was knelt down beside the chair, calling her name, trying to get a response from the female fallen.

“Botis what’s wrong with her?” Bellowed Morax.

“Mental feedback,” Botis grunted lifting Lilith from the chair. “The Wizard must have broken the connection violently.”

Morax turned his head and levelled a scolding glare down at me. “Get her out of here,” he ordered. “I’m going to finish this Wizard once and for all.”

 


	10. Chapter 10

Morax stomped towards me, hatred and murder gleaming in his eyes. I frantically began to search the room for anything that would help me escape, instinctually reaching for my magic only for the manacle’s bitter touch to wash away my concentration. I was in no shape to brawl with this guy. Forgetting the obvious fact that I was chained to a cot; he had just spent the last God knows how long torturing me, cutting into me, wearing me down and trying to break me. Yeah I had been patched up but the injuries were still there and they still hurt like hell. I wasn’t going to be able to move swiftly enough to avoid those battering ram like fists of his. Also, Morax was a friggin’ fallen angel. A really angry fallen angel who was already pissed with me because I wouldn’t tell him that I _had_ nothing to tell him. I was still suffering from what he did to me while he was in a good mood, I really didn’t want to know what he’d do when he was in a bad one. He let out a roar as he brought his right fist down towards my face. I moved my head to the side and with my free left hand, deflected the blow, nudging it away. His fist went straight through the cot, where my head had been a mere second ago, and kept going until it hit the ground and brought his face level with mine. Instinct took over and I lashed out with my free hand, landing several blows to the side of Morax’s head. My pained body objected to all the fierce movements but I just gritted my teeth and kept piling on the punches, one after another. My anger fed into itself and I didn’t let up; blow after blow, I just kept hitting him with everything I had. If they were going to take me down, I was going make the bastards work for it.

“How’d you like it, you son of a bitch.” I shouted as I continued to pummel away.

Morax tried to keep his head down, hunching up his shoulders to block my attacks but that didn’t stop me. He let out another bestial roar, sharply rising to his feet and I suddenly found myself, and the cot, flying through the air. We both collided with the wall, the cot softening the impact and keeping my already aching bones from shattering against the hard surface. I landed on the floor with a _thud_ , the cot breaking as we hit the ground. Morax rose fully to his feet, shaking his head to regain his balance and focus, clearing away the cobwebs. I slowly began to free myself from the wreckage of the cot, trying desperately to make it to my feet before Morax recovered from my attack, and to my surprise I was able to move my right arm without restriction. Although I still had the Thorn manacle secured around my wrist, but with the cot now in ruins, the other end of my restraints slid free from the splintered mass. I got to my feet just in time to find Marox refocusing on me. I made a quick survey of the room; the only exit was about five running steps to my left and although it was sure to be locked, with the right amount of momentum and leverage I could probably force my way through. In the far corner closest to the door stood the tray of torture tools and resting on top was my eskrima. While I still had the manacle fastened around my wrist my magic wouldn’t be all that reliable, but the eskrima would still work well as a physical weapon regardless. To my right and behind me were solid stone walls and then in front of me was the bulking form of Morax. I really didn’t have a lot of options. I was tired, in pain and even if I did get out of this room alive, I had no idea what I was likely to find the other side of that door. Although right now I needed to focus on the staying alive part of that scenario. I could feel the intensity of Morax’s glower, his hatred and anger washing over me in equal measure.

“Don’t suppose you want to sit down and talk about this rationally do you?” I said, my voice trembling slightly with a nervous giggle.

Morax roared in response as he rushed towards me, swinging his right fist like a giant wrecking ball. He was quick, quicker than I thought someone his size could be, but I was already in motion as his battle cry rumbled to the surface. I rolled under his strike, my body screaming at me in protest the whole way. I tried to follow the roll through, to come back up to me feet, but the wear and tear of recent events was taking its toll and I stumbled, coming up short in a sprawl across the floor. I tried to aim in the direction of my eskrima but it was still a couple of feet away. Scrambling to my hands and knees, I frantically motioned towards my weapon; I was just able to touch it with my thumb and index finger when I felt someone grab me by the shoulder and wrench me back with such force that I left the ground and collided with the far wall once more. Sadly this time I didn’t have the cot to cushion the impact. I landed on the floor with a thud and my wounds cried out, sending a fresh tidal wave of pain washing through my body. There was the light clatter of wood landing next to me which helped me focus and block out the agony; it was my eskrima. I must have had enough of a grip on it that it came with me on my flying lesson. I picked it up, grasping it tightly in my right hand and I felt a surge of defiance stir within me. It was short lived however as Morax stomped over, reached down and grabbed me by the throat. Without showing much strain he, with one friggin’ hand, lifted me up and held me above him, his bolder size fist still locked around my neck. I kicked my legs out but without any weight behind them it was a futile gesture at best. But with eskrima in hand, I brought the weapon down towards my attacker’s head only for him to catch the blow with his free hand. I felt the grip around my neck begin to tighten and it became incredibly hard to breathe.

“Botis said I was wasting my time with you Wizard,” Morax said as the started to choke the life out of me. “He said you had no knowledge of us, but I had to be sure, I had to know your secrets.”

Stars were beginning to swim across my vision as my lungs yearned for air and I could feel my limbs becoming heavy and sluggish.

“I should make you suffer, but I’ve wasted enough time on you. Goodbye Wizard.”

Everything started to go black; ‘ _This is it_ ’ I thought to myself. After all the close calls and battles I had survived, I was about to go out being choked to death by a fallen angel.

A loud boom sounded against the wall behind Morax that drew his attention and with it his grip wavered. It went off again, this time the wall shook slightly sending dirt and dust tumbling to the floor. Then there was another and another and another, each one getting louder and louder. At that point Morax’s attention had moved on from me and was now entirely focused on what was happening to the wall. He lowered me down so that my feet were once again touching the floor; his grip was still firm around my throat but I was at least able to suck in air more reliably. The booms continued for a full minute and then abruptly stopped. Everything was deathly silent and eerie. Morax motioned closer to the wall as if to inspect it, dragging me along with him. He stopped a foot away from the concrete wall and even though I could only see a part of his face, I could tell that he was unsure, that he had no idea what that noise was or what it meant.

Suddenly the wall exploded with chunks of concrete shooting towards us like flaming comets. Morax was between me and the wall and bore the brunt of the flying debris. The force of the explosion sent us both tumbling backwards, driving us to the ground and at some point it broke Morax’s grip freeing me in the process. I laid there for a moment dazed and confused with a whining buzz ringing in my ears. I looked around to find Morax half covered in rubble and bleeding; it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. The dust was just starting to settle when I caught a glimpse of three figures standing in the newly formed hole. The first one I could make out was a woman, athletically built, about five and half feet tall and looked like she had just stepped out of a rock concert. Her hair was jet black save for a few streaks of white, dark make-up exaggerating her Asian features, a black tee-shirt that stopped just above her navel with black jeans and a sliver studded belt that sat on her waist and together they framed her toned abdomen. The next figure to emerge was male and he too was dressed all in black; black boots, cargo pants, top and leather trench coat. His features were almost lion like; his light brown hair was short and blended down into a short beard. Also when he smiled at the destruction around him, believe it or not, I thought I saw fangs. The two of them moved into the room and a third person walked in behind them and I immediately recognised him. The intense stare, the built physique and dark skin; it was the guy I saw outside Reggie’s place. He was in an outfit not far from what I usually wear; hooded leather jacket, denim jeans, boots, but of course once again it was all in black.

Do bad guys get special rates for buying everything in black?

As he emerged through the hole in the wall I noticed scarlet coloured flames engulfed his clenched fists and the smell of sulphur hit my senses. Instinctively I froze in place, not wanting to draw any attention

“Malpas, Orias, get that door down.” The dark skinned man ordered, his accent American sounding. I’m guessing he’s the one in charge.

Goth Girl and Lion-O motioned towards the door but were quick to spot me lying on the ground. They stopped and lorded over me like reapers come to claim my soul.

“What should we do with him?” The female asked.

“Only the girl matters,” replied the leader as he walked towards the door, the scarlet flames still glowing around his fists. “Kill him.”

Before they could move, Morax bellowed with rage and charged at the new comers. Goth Girl was fast, scary fast, and managed to get out of the way in time but Lion-O wasn’t as lucky. Like a charging bull, Morax hit the guy with such force that he instantly took his target off his feet, went careering through the wall and out of sight. The pair left behind were quick to follow but before disappearing in pursuit, the leader stopped and stared down at me, his lips parted in a snarl.

“If I see you again,” He said “I will kill you.” And then he ran to catch up with the others, vanishing through the dust cloud.

Wow, two death threats in the space of a few minutes. It’s enough to make a guy feel wanted.

 


	11. Chapter 11

The clash between Morax and the three party crashers echoed through the smashed wall. I got my feet under me, with the aid of my eskrima and took a peek. The structural damage hadn’t been contained to my torture room; wall after wall, room after room, the fight went through the area like a bulldozer. The room adjoining mine looked like it had once been a break room of some kind; what was left of a sofa lined the wall to my left while cupboards hung limply off the wall in the corner and the splinters of tables and chairs littered the ground along with more rubble. To my right was a door that had been dented and warped from the battle. I went over to inspect it, praying to find a way out of here. Hope surged through me as the door swung open with a gentle push. Peering out through the doorway, I checked to make sure the way was clear for me to escape before leaving the room. Though it would be just my luck to be given this opportunity to flee only to run straight into one of the bastards that caught me in the first place.

The hallway looked like a standard hallway with doors on both sides and strip lighting running along the length of the ceiling. Grey concrete filled the spaces giving the place the stereotypical maintenance hallway vibe. With the eskrima in my left hand and the Thorn manacle dangling from my right, I moved away from my cell as swiftly as I could. As I walked further down the passage the sounds of the fight began to fade; they were clearly to preoccupied with each other to worry about me right now and I was grateful. At the first junction I turned left down an identical hallway and kept moving; more doors were spread out along the walls, each one displaying different notices as to what was contained inside. I passed about five or six more doors when I suddenly heard a sound coming from a room to my right. The notice stated that this was ‘Break Room C’ and as I moved closer I realised that the noise coming from the room was the sound of a woman crying. I tried the door but unsurprisingly it was locked. I took a couple of steps back, sizing up the door and then, putting as much strength as I could into my legs and forward momentum, kicked the door open. Wherever I was, whoever built it, didn’t believe in quality over quantity as the door flew open. My joints screamed at me in discomfort, not liking me doing something so overt. The room inside was very much like the one I had been held in, dimly lit by a single bulb hanging from the ceiling, plain concrete walls and only one exit. In the centre of the room sat a woman with her head bowed, red hair hanging down concealing her face, her body trembled as she continued to cry.

“Hey,” I said as I walked into the room. “Can you hear me?”

I knelt down in front of her and slowly she lifted her head to look at me. It was the girl Evil Gandalf had abducted when I found him. As soon as she saw me her eyes began to widen and I could see the thoughts racing behind her emerald eyes, like a surge of hope she once thought gone had just been rekindled.

“H…help me. Please.” She muttered in between the sobs.

“I will,” I reply instinctively. “Can you move?”

She shook her head and tried to move her arms to show that she had been bound to the chair like I had; I moved around behind her to get a better look and found that she too was being restrained by Thorn manacles. Either the manacles were their only method of securing someone or they were worried about what she could do.

“Shit.” I cursed. I had no way of getting her hands free, not with a manacle still firmly clasped around my own wrist.

“P…please,” She whimpered. “The c…cold, it h…hurts.”

She was clearly talking about her restraints; the piercing ice cold pain from the chains hurt like hell each and every time I tried to call upon my magic. Her shackles were definitely reacting to something but whatever it was I couldn’t sense it. That was never usually a good sign.

“I’m sorry,” I said as I moved back into her line of vision. “But I need to go find something to help get these manacles off you.” Her green eyes stared back at mine, almost pleading with me not to leave her. “I promise that I will be back. I will not leave you here.”

I heard someone calling out down the corridor quickly followed by the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. Someone was coming for her. I rose and began to walk towards the door way, determination setting in with each step. I took hold of the loose end of the manacle still secured around my right wrist, closing my hand into a fist around it to use as a makeshift weapon. The footsteps were getting closer and closer, my heart was practically beating out of my chest and it was only getting faster. I had no idea who or what was coming this way and I didn’t know how much longer I could last out, or if I was going to be able to keep my promise to the girl still chained to a chair behind me. There’s no way around it, I was scared. I was scared out of my mind. People tell stories about how fear immobilised them, for me it only seemed to fuel my movement, my resolve strengthening with every step. Just before I made it to the doorway a man appeared from around the corner. Dark skin, eyes wide with surprise. He wasn’t expecting to find me here but I heard him coming and I didn’t hesitate; with the manacle clutched firmly in my right hand, I punched him hard in the face. His head snapped back and he staggered backwards but I didn’t give him the chance to gather his wits. Grabbing hold of his dark blue tee-shirt I hit him again and felt his nose give way with a sickening crunch, blood exploding down his face. I hit him again and again and again until his back was pressed up against the opposite wall. A rage swept over me that fuelled my attack. All that fury built up like a furious tempest, each blow venting out only a small fraction at a time; however I soon felt the exhaustion creeping over me. I was breathing hard, my limbs were like lead but I still just kept lashing out. Everything was silent expect from the sound of violence.

After a few seconds more the haze began to slowly clear and reason was once again taking control of my thoughts and my actions. I fought to control my heavy breathing, to control my trembling hands now that the surge of adrenaline was coming to an end. The man I held in front of me was barely recognisable as that anymore. What had once been a man’s face was now nothing more than a mess of ripped flesh, broken bone and blood. Eventually I released my grip on his shirt, my knuckles aching from holding on too tight, and took a step back. His lifeless form slid limply down the wall and the only sound that could be heard was my own ragged breathing. I didn’t move. I just stood there looking down at the motionless body for what seemed like hours, taking in every vivid detail of what my rage had created.

In reality it had taken no longer than fifteen seconds, start to finish.

Behind me the sound of rattling chains brought me back to my senses. The girl was still chained and I was still magically restricted until I could free us both. Instinctively I knelt down and began searching the body. The guy was wearing a blue tee-shirt under blue overalls with high visibility strips sown over the shoulders, wrist cuffs and leg ends; the type worn by London Underground workers and engineers. They were keeping us at an underground train station? Made sense; it’s out of the way, quick access to virtually anywhere in the city plus these hallways are a maze should the unenlightened actually manage to escape. I riffled through the pockets, of which there seemed to be a million, until I found a ring carrying at least a dozen keys. They all seemed pretty standard for a station worker, all except one which stood out like a nun in a whore house. Compared to the others this particular key looked old. Like really old, ancient even.

_Really?_ I thought to myself. _Could I really have been that lucky?_ The fact that the first guy I had taken out just happened to have the key to my cuffs seemed like a statistical impossibility. I mean this is me we’re talking about. I don’t have that kind of luck. Then again I had, not too long ago, been saved by the timely intervention of an exploding wall. I guessed at this point the key would either unlock the manacles or cause the world to end.

I really hoped it was the former.

I took the key, slid it into the slot and with a gentle twist it made a very satisfying _click_. The manacle swung open, releasing my wrist and dropped to the floor. I reached out for my magic, reassuring myself that I was now free as I felt it gather without pain.. Without wasting any more time, I went back into the room and began freeing the captive young woman.

“Don’t worry,” I told her. “I’ll have you free in a second.”

Quickly, I knelt down and unlocked the restraints around her ankles and wrists; with each turn of the key the woman became more frantic to get them off. As the last manacle fell to the floor the red head leaped out of the chair and flung her arms around me, all but knocking me over. And that’s when I felt it.

No, not that.

When a practitioner touches another with magical talent you get a tingling feeling as your energies, your auras cross over. It can range from a pins and needles sensation to, as I heard someone explain it once, that feeling you get when you stick a battery in your mouth. With the latter in mind, coming into contact with this girl was like sticking your wet finger into a plug socket. I did everything I could not to react and flinch away from her but there was no mistaking, this girl had some major talent. It’s what the manacles had been reacting to, why they had caused her so much pain. But she had no idea what was happening. She didn’t know.

She began squeezing me tightly; I could feel her body gently trembling against mine and as soon as I felt her tears against my bare chest, I understood. Instinctively I put my arms around her, trying to reassure her with my presence, to convey that she was no longer alone. I knew we had to get moving, it was only a matter of time before someone would come looking for us, but for the life of me I didn’t want to go anywhere. Being this close to her, holding her in my arms, I had never felt so…peaceful. The longer I held her, the more I noticed; despite being held in this place she had a scent that reminded me of flowers in spring, her touch on my skin felt warm and it invited me to explore the sensation further…

_What the hell?_ I thought to myself furiously, pulling away from ideas unbecoming of the situation. This was hardly the time or the place but just like the park, my thoughts were being pulled in a direction that I had very little control over. Everyone has desires; it’s a perfectly natural reaction and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. A glance held a second too long, a small playful smile, a scent you come across, the gentlest of touches; just one of these could be all that it takes to set the mind racing. But what was happening wasn’t normal. It seemed natural, like everything else in my head, but these weren’t _my_ thoughts. Whatever it was, it would have to wait till later. We needed to escape.

Slowly I began to ease up on the hug. I placed my hands on the girl’s shoulders and took a step back, pushing her away gently so I could talk to her. Her eyes were puffy from all the crying, her nose was red and cheeks were flushed but despite all that there was still a natural beauty to her, the type you don’t see every day.

“Ok,” I said, looking straight at the girl. “I’m going to try and get us out of here so I want you to stay behind me and do exactly what I tell you to do. Understand?”

The girl gave a little nod of her head. I took a hold of her hand, squeezing it lightly for reassurance and said, “Alright then. Follow me.”

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

_Boom_!

The whole room shook. I could hear shouting that sounded like it was only a few yards away. Whatever was happening with the fight, it was starting to work its way to back towards us.

“I definitely think it’s past time we got out of here.” I said.

With the woman’s hand in mine, I led her out of the room and down the hallway to our right. I was moving as quickly as I could, trying desperately to cling on to what little remained of my adrenaline surge. There wasn’t much left and I could feel my limbs wanting to give out; I was literary running on fumes. As we came to a left turning in the corridor I slowed down a little, pressing my back against the inside wall. Carefully I peered around the corner, trying to keep as much of my body hidden as possible. Fifteen meters away a hallway led off to the right and another twenty or so meters beyond that the passageway turned left, possibly circling back the way we came. As the coast seemed clear I once again began to lead us away from the fighting and hopefully to safety. We came to the first corridor and another loud _boom_ rumbled through the structure; this time it was close enough to stagger us a little. We both froze and held our breaths, instinctively not wanting to draw any attention to our position.

“The half-blood has escaped!” rumbled a deep voice that unquestionably belonged to Morax. “Spread out! Find her!”

They were right behind us. This was going to turn ugly very quickly if we didn’t get away from them. I hurried us down the passageway as fast as we could manage. We charged through several doorways before I got a glimpse of a green emergency exit sign at the far end of the corridor.

“There they are!” shouted a rough voice from behind us.

Still running, I looked back over my shoulder to see a small group, being led by Botis, charging after us.

“Oh _come on_.” I cursed. As far as escape attempts go, this was not going to be considered an all-time great.

As we went through another set of doors a crazy idea popped up in my head and I slowed myself down, turning back to the door.

“What are you doing?” the girl called frantically.

“Delaying them.” I said back.

I began pushing the doors closed and as I did, off in the distance, I saw a ball of crimson fire engulf the rearmost members of our pursuers. Great, Botis was chasing us and my “rescuers” are chasing them. This was going to be close. I got the doors closed and slid my eskrima in between the D shaped handles, to act like a makeshift barricade. Holding my eskrima in place, I called upon my will, drawing in as much as I could, pouring all my fear in for good measure. A pressure began to build as I struggled to summon my magic but I didn’t stop until I had enough. I could hear them coming on the other side of the door, they would be kicking it open in a matter of seconds. Taking all the will I had gathered so far, I channelled it through my weapon and snarled “ _Niquis_!” Energy rushed out of me and into the eskrima; ice began forming around the rod and within seconds started to spread across the door. I continued to pour more power into the spell as I once again said, “ _Niquis. Niquis Palya_.” Layer upon layer of ice built up over the doors, sealing them shut and keeping our pursuers out. But I kept adding more power to the spell until it eventually started to build up around my eskrima. I gave it everything I had right up to the last second. I let go of my weapon, pulling my arm back as quickly as I could. Freezing pain registered on the palm of my hand as I caught it on the jagged edges of the ice as it closed together, encasing around the rod. Without my will feeding the spell the spread of the ice slowed, eventually stopping. I sagged down to my knees, exhaustion all but overtaking me. Raising my head, I took a look at my handy work; the door had been covered in solid ice, several layers thick, which had spread to the walls, ceiling and floor. I tried to get up but my legs gave out from under me and I fell to the ground. I felt the girl’s presence by my side and suddenly I was being helped to my feet, moving away from the frozen barricade and towards the green exit sign.

We barely made it a few feet before I could hear fists pounding against the reinforced door, desperately trying to break it down. In her panicked state of mind, the girl was furiously struggling to keep me moving, trying to get us closer to the exit and further way from our captors. I managed to get a little more control over my legs, meaning I could move mostly under my own steam and was steadily gaining speed. Panting heavily, we made it to the emergency exit and hit the crossbar, opening our way to freedom. Just as we had unlocked the door a loud cracking noise caught my attention. I turned back to look at the barrier and saw fissures visibly forming in the ice, each with its own audible _crack_. With no further warning, the blockade exploded in a shower of ice and a cloud of steam. I could see two crimson glowing orbs shining in the fog and they were moving steadily forward through the now open hallway. I didn’t wait to see who was attached to the orbs and directed us through the exit, quickly pushing it closed behind us.

As we made our escape there was very little in the way of light on the other side of the door to help guide us. Some small part of my brain began complaining that I didn’t take the time to try and find my wrist strap. The other, more aware, parts of my mind were fast to gang up and kick that small section in the arse. The ground started to tremble beneath our feet and behind us began to brighten up and only then did I realise where we were; a subway tunnel.

It would have been insane even trying to attempt out running the train coming up the tunnel, but staying put didn’t seem like a better idea either. There weren’t a great deal of options left open to us so I did what any half naked, tortured escapee would do. Something crazy.

I pushed the girl towards the wall and stood next to her, my back pressed as close to the solid surface as physically possible. I held my left arm across her, mainly to make sure she didn’t move, and dug down deep to whatever remained of my will. The train came closer and closer as I struggled to focus my magic, to send the power to the only magical gear I had left, the small silver rings on my hand. The pressure of focusing the energy built inside my head to an excruciating level, but thanks to Morax that kind of pain was nothing new. Slowly I was able to form an invisible wall of force that spread to cover the pair of us just in time for a train to come roaring past. The girl’s scream was lost in the sound of the carriages speeding through the tunnel. Debris, dust and stones swept up in the trains wind stream stuck the shield, small concentric rings glowing from the impact. My plan was actually working until something the size of a shoe hit the barrier right in front of my my face. It scared the shit out of me and my concentration wavered momentarily. I struggled to reign in my focus on nothing but the shield but I was already starting to feel the spell dissolve, it was failing. I began crying out in near panic but it was all but lost in the canopy of noise within the tunnel. With the pressure of the train’s wind stream trying to pull me along with it, I was doing all I could to just stand my ground. As my shield continued to recede, sharp stringing pains began registering, the grit and debris colliding with my legs adding to everything else already racing about in my mind.

And then everything stopped.

We were once again left to ourselves. I may have had my eyes closed and continued to shout for several seconds afterwards. I only stopped once I realised I could hear myself again. We both sagged back against the wall overcome by sheer relief. I started to giggle; I was so exhausted that I couldn’t help myself. The rest was short lived when we heard shouting coming from behind us.

“Give me a break.” I sighed. They say there’s no rest for the wicked but this was getting ridiculous.

I started to move and my whole body screamed at me, it protested every strain I put on my muscles but I couldn’t give in to it, not yet. Once again taking the girl by the hand, we headed off in the same direction of the train hoping to reach civilisation before our pursuers caught up to us. It was hard enough just trying to keep moving and the poor lighting wasn’t helping matters. We tried to stick as close to the wall as possible, making sure we weren’t wondering to far onto the tracks. Up ahead I could see a subtle glow and I prayed that it wasn’t another train but it didn’t seem to be rushing towards us, it was just a steady illumination. The closer we got the brighter it became and a surge of hope grew within me, feeding my tired and fatigued limbs a much needed boost. The girl was having the same reaction and I could feel our pace quickening to a steady jog; the nearer we were to the source of light the more we could see on the track and the faster we became.

We were so damn close.

Someone screamed behind me.

I turned back to see Botis holding on to the girls arm with one viper covered hand and a dagger held above his head in the other. I reacted without hesitation. Raising my left leg I planted my boot squarely on the centre of his chest with all the strength I could muster. The blow caught him by surprise; he was too focused on the girl to guard against it. With his grip broken, Botis tumbled back landing on his arse with a grunt. We started running away before he could make it back to his feet, following the track down the tunnel towards the light. The wall began to lead away from the track and about 10 feet away a small set of steps led up to a barrier gate, big bold reflective letters reading ‘DO NOT CROSS. AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY’.  I guided us up the steps, pushing past the gate and we found ourselves on a crowded station platform. People dressed in business clothes stretched out as far as the eye could see. It looked like the rush hour horde but was it coming or going? AM or PM? Just how long had they been holding us for?

As we pushed our way through the crowd we received a flurry of annoyed glares and puzzled stares. I guess a half dressed, bandaged man leading an attractive female through a busy station would draw people’s attention. I had to swallow down grunts and shouts of pain each time someone knocked into me as we navigated the masses. Outraged and startled voices called out behind us and I cast a look back over my right shoulder. Botis was barging his way through the crowded platform, all but throwing people out of his way as he tried to reach us. My mind raced, fear and terror flooding my thoughts as I tried to come up with a plan. Once again our options were very limited. To the right was the platforms edge and from there the train tracks that led back out into the dark tunnel. To our left was a corridor that led onto another platform and…and a train that was just pulling in.

That platform was only slightly less heaving, it wouldn’t be too hard for us to get through and catch that train. Hope once again flared up, like a proverbial roller coast of emotions, as I guided us out of the crowd towards our getaway vehicle. The herd began to thin out in the space between the two platforms and we accelerated our pace to a run. With Botis still trying to fight his way to catch up, it gave us a chance to put a little extra distance between us. I didn’t slow down as we hit the throng of commuters, using the pace to help drive us through to the front, something my body deeply hated me for, as pain surged all over nearly robbing me of my momentum. I gritted my teeth biting down yet another cry of agony as we pushed our way onto the train.

I collided with a man in the middle of the queue who, as luck might have it, carried a leather satchel over one shoulder. Unlike most of the well-dressed travellers, he had his suit jacket slung over the top of the bag resting between the straps. Using the impact as a distraction, I slipped the jacket away without his notice. He shouted a few choice words to me but I didn’t respond or react, I just stayed focused on keeping us moving forward and hoped that he hadn’t noticed his missing jacket.

I’m not a kleptomaniac or anything, it’s was just one of those rare moments of foresight. I knew that down the line there would be complaints about a half-naked man covered in bandages running around the London Underground. It made sense for me to cover up, I mean from the back it’s hard to tell who’s who when they’re all wearing black jackets.

We were only a couple of feet from the train and it was already mostly full. I pushed the girl out in front of me as I shrugged into the jacket, giving her the better odds of making it onto the train. Shouts cried out close behind us as we pushed our way onto carriage and as the doors began to slide shut I filled my mind with the most peaceful thoughts I could think of and prayed that they didn’t malfunction.

The doors were a hairs breadth from fully shutting when suddenly a pair of cobra jaw covered hands grabbed the closing edges and stopped them in their tracks. Through the gap I could see Botis’ rough features glaring as he wrestled against the doors. Commuters began staring at the fallen angel trying to force the shutters open. What had started as murmurs of frustration, the general air of contempt for anyone that delayed the journey of the mass travellers, quickly became replaced by whispers of confusion and fear. Botis fixed his gaze on me, murderous intent flashing through his eyes as he let out a growl that shouldn’t have come from a human throat. Slowly the doors started to give and he began pulling them apart. In another couple of millimetres the doors would spring open while the mechanism inside reset itself to then try closing again, but by then it would be too late, Botis would be on board and the fight would restart anew.

I was exhausted. All I really wanted to do was just curl up into a ball and sleep for a week. But as drained as I was, I was also getting pretty pissed off with these guys. They had tortured me, beat me, chased me through the Underground and they weren’t going to stop until I was dead and they got the girl back.

“Not in _my_ city.” I snarled as I clench my right hand into a tight fist.

Botis had opened the doors enough to give me a clear shot and I took it and punched him right in the face.

Quick fighting tip; don’t punch anyone with a closed fist. Oh your opponent will feel it alright, there’s no doubting it, but so will you. The shock from the impact has nowhere to go except up your arm, compacting all the joints together. And it hurts. A lot.

But like with most tips and rules, there can always be an exception.

My hand was clenched so tightly into a fist that my knuckles popped as it collided with Botis. He let out a grunt of pain as the bones of my hand connected with the bridge of his nose. Like I said, a closed fist can hurt a lot. Botis staggered back and lost his grip on the doors and after a seconds delay they slammed shut.

As the train pulled away Botis, who had regained his footing, managed to shoot me one final homicidal glare. He wiped at the fresh blood trickling down from his nose with the back of his hand, all the while never taking his eyes off me. Then a second later, we were finally out of sight.

I did all I could not to just fall over and collapse on the floor right there, but it was close. I let out a shaky and exhausted sigh and turned back to find several dozen eyes focused on me. Confused faces stared at me expectantly, as if demanding an immediate explanation for my actions. I knew instantly that the truth wouldn’t fly; that me and a girl, who I didn’t know, where being hunted by a group of fallen angels. I mean that would be crazy right?

So instead I hooked a thumb at the doors and said the first thing that came to mind.

“No ticket.”

They all just stared at me for a moment longer before returning to their previous conversations or reading their free copy of The Metro newspaper and generally acting like nothing had happened. My ego felt somewhat deflated having pictured the zeppelin scene from Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade in my head. But then Indiana Jones had never dealt with London commuters. That thought made me feel slightly better. But only just.

I turned my attention to the girl who was visible shaking, her arms folded across her chest, hugging herself tightly.

“Are you ok?” I asked her. She didn’t respond. Her eyes were wide and unfocused, staring at nothing in particular.

“Hey,” I said gently, putting my hand on her shoulder. This time she looked up at me. “Are you ok?”

Her big emerald coloured eyes met mine. When the train started moving I had stupidly let my guard down and for a moment I didn’t realise what was happening until I felt it, the sudden pull of a soulgaze. But then the strangest thing happened. She just simply closed her eyes and the connection was cut off. The soulgaze just stopped.

What the hell was that?

I had never heard of anyone having the ability to stop a soulgaze. This was getting crazier by the second.

The girl made a noise drawing my attention back to her. Her lower lip began quivering and I saw a single tear roll down her cheek. She leaned in and wrapped her arms around me tightly. Once again my body tried to scream in protest but the warm sensation of her body pressed against mine overruled those objections.

I put one arm around her, leaned back against the doors and let out a tired and ragged breath.

I had saved the girl.

The only question now was why did she need saving in the first place?

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

We rode in silence for a few stops. She kept her arms wrapped round me and I continued trying my best to console her. Thankfully the platforms were on the other side of the carriage at each stop so I didn’t have to move. I honestly didn’t think I would have been be able to anyway. While we weren’t saying anything, I took the time to figure out what train line we were on and which direction we were heading. We were on the Northern Line; we had just passed Moorgate station and a very polite and obviously recorded feminine voice announced over the speaker that the next stop was Bank, so we were heading south.

I peered up at a small map of the London Underground train network displayed above the opposite doors. A chart of brightly coloured intersecting lines that looked about as clear as a plate of spaghetti if you didn’t know what you were looking for.

In the opening half of the nineteenth century, London’s population had a growing spurt and the need for commuting each day led to roads being congested with cabs, carts and omnibuses. Several railway termini were established over the following years around the urban centre of London to help, but that still covered landed that intersected with everything else, so it only made a dent in the larger problem at hand. What really changed things was the idea someone had back in the eighteen thirties, an underground railway.

So work got underway and by the early eighteen sixties the world’s first underground railway was created. They started small with just the one railway line that traveled back and forth between Paddington and Farringdon, but it proved popular shifting nearly forty thousand people on the first day of use. Over time the network grew, more railways wanted to jump on the bandwagon. More tunnels and lines were built and more stations were added, slowly expanding out from the city’s centre.

It wasn’t until the turn of the century that they decided to move on from the wooden coaches pulled by a locomotive and instead started looking into using electricity to power the trains. This meant that they could ferry even more people back and forth at a greater rate. Then as time went by, what started out as a need to improve travel with a small collection of stations, turned into this massive living, breathing organism, a nervous system for the whole city. The Underground network has become such an integral part of city life that the entirety of London would come to a standstill should even one of the lines suffer a problem.

While using the Tube wasn’t my preferred method of traversing the city, I had made it a point to learn about relevant stops and where to find them on the map. I saw where our train was taking us and then began to work out a route back to my apartment. It probably wasn’t the best of ideas but under the circumstances it was the only choice I had.

As things stood we were in pretty bad shape. Save for my shield rings, I had no gear on me. They had taken my wrist strap away when they had begun torturing me. Thinking back on things I guess that the only reason why they hadn’t taken my rings away as well was because they were defensive in nature. The fact that I had often used it as a battering ram was neither here nor there. In order for me to have created a shield I would need to call upon my magic, but in doing so it would open me up to the cold, dispassionate response of the manacles. In essence, they were useless in that situation.

My weapon, my eskrima, had been shattered into splinters of ice during our escape. I had another one back in my flat but it drew on an entirely different power set. You see as wonderful as magic is, it still has to follow the law of physics, you can’t just create something from nothing. The eskrima I had lost allowed me to focus my magic on the element of air. I could use magic to move the air, direct it into column of brutal and bone crushing force or into a twisting tornado or a simple gust of wind. I could supercharge the air molecules, making them literally burst into flames which I could then manipulate in the same fashion. It also let me do the reverse and remove the heat from the air, freezing anything instantly much like I had done to aid us in our escape. And while yes I could manage such spells without it, the eskrima was a versatile tool that allowed me greater focus, greater accuracy in casting them.

The other eskrima was more inclined towards earth magic, terramancy, and water. It was a tool I mostly used on some of the more covert missions I had undertaken in my role as a Warden of the White Council. Although the spells it helped me cast were tremendous, like opening a sinkhole under a patrolling guard and closing it up afterwards, it wasn’t suited for quick fire combat. When I had them both to hand there was very little that I couldn’t do in terms of elemental magic. The eskrima still functioning was better than nothing and I had a feeling I wouldn’t be able to create a replacement any time soon, so there was very little choice left.

 _That’s not the only choice_ , a thought in my mind whispered, _take up the staff_.

Inhuman screams echoed once again in my mind. _The sickening sensation of a dark ritual being unleashed. The sight of huge creatures with black leathery skin howling in rage and pain and fear until their chests exploded. Hundreds upon hundreds of twisted and mangled corpses strewn across fields stained with blood. Seeing men and women wilting and crumbling to ashes before my very eyes. Witnessing the end of a race, the end of a war._

“Are you ok?”

I blinked. Looking around I found myself back on the train, the mysterious red head still holding herself close to me. I looked down to see her staring at me. She had stopped crying though her eyes were still red and puffy.

“A…are you ok?” She asked again, her voice fragile. It was only just loud enough for me to hear over the noise of the train. I thought I detected a hint of an accent of some kind but she spoke too softly to really be sure.

“Yeah,” I said shaking my head a little. “Yeah I’m fine. How are you holding up?”

She lifted her shoulders in a gentle shrug. I felt her body begin to tremble mildly as she rested her head once more against my chest. She was just moments away from breaking down again and something began tugging at my insides seeing her this way. So fragile and vulnerable, to see the innocence she once held shattered.

“Hey,” I said softly as I fought to push those feelings aside. I needed to keep cool and logical, I’m sure there will be plenty of time to let my inner white knight out to save the damsel later. “It’ll be ok. I won’t lie to you, I have hundreds of questions that I am currently trying to whittle down to the most relevant. Once I get us some place safe I will be expecting some answers. Do you understand?”

She nodded her head once in acknowledgement.

Now I just needed to find somewhere safe. I thought going back and re-arming myself to be the most logical choice before, my gut was telling me otherwise. Going back to my apartment was just too risky. Lilith had been inside my head for too long, she would have enough knowledge about me to figure out where I lived. Logic would dictate that I go back to the flat but that would be something they may count on. Once we got into my flat we would be safe but as protected as it was, once there we would be trapped. The wards I had set up around my home would only keep them out for so long. They would get through them eventually I was sure enough on that with what I had seen. Look what happened to Reggie’s lockup.

She also knew about Louise. While we were mind melding, Lilith hadn't hesitated in trying to use Lou as leverage against me, I doubt she would have any qualms about such action in the real world. The other most logical place to go would be Edinburgh, to get support from White Council. They would be able to protect us, give us a safe space to work things out. But then should anything happen here in London, to Louise or anyone I cared about, I would be too far away to do anything.

Truth was I had no idea how much information the fallen angel had gotten from reading my mind. Any place I chose there was the possibility that Lilith and her gang would already have people there waiting for us. When you’re in my line of work paranoia is a survival trait. It’s always about preparing for the worst and hoping the reality sucks a little less. But when you have a situation with so many variables, so many unanswered questions, planning generally goes out the window. You can do your best to make sure you're ready to face whatever's coming, but it's more likely that you'll just need to make it up as you go along. What's the saying; 'No plan survives first contact with the enemy'. Well I've met the enemy and I have no plan and no clue what we should do.

Well then I guess my plan was to figure out a plan. But to do that I needed to find some place safe which brought me full circle, where was safe for us to go? I had to assume Lilith knew what I knew, knew where I would go to hide out.

 _So find somewhere she doesn't know about_ a thought cried out. Could it really be that simple? _Yes it can!_ I mentally scolded myself. If Lilith knew everything I did, then I needed someone who knew more than me. Granted that was a very long list in the grand scheme of things, but I knew of one guy in the city that could help.

So I looked back up at the Underground map and started to plan our next move.

 

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

Once you know where you’re going, traversing the London Underground is easy. Most of the time it’s just a case of following the crowd and watching for signs pointing out the way to your platform. During off-peak hours it can be quite easy getting from one train to the next and you generally have plenty of space to move around and figure out your route. Trying to do that during rush hour however is an entirely different matter. Throughout those golden hours everything is a hundred miles an hour and there are quite literary thousands of people between you and your destination. In the morning it’s because people are in a panic to get to work and any loss of time could be career ending. In the evenings it’s because they want to get home as quick as a possible, so they have longer to relax and sleep before doing it all again the following day. Naturally everyone believes their journey is more important than anyone else’s and heaven help the unlucky soul who gets in the way. Seriously, you could turn it into a spectator sport.

There are days when I’m thankful for not having a nine to five job. This however, was not one of those days.

Continuing the trend of constant paranoia, I made sure we switched trains every few stops, making it harder for anyone tracking us. If they couldn’t tail us, then by switching trains it effectively meant they wouldn’t be able to accurately guess as to where we were going. It gave us better than slim odds to get somewhere safe. So we rode the Northern Line a few stops to London Bridge, switched over to the Jubilee Line until we got to Green Park, moved to the Piccadilly Line to South Kensington and so on and so forth until we arrived at Victoria station.

“Come on,” I said. “This is our stop.”

The girl was so exhausted she just moved along with me, not saying a word. We got off the train and started following the crowd, blending in with the mass of commuters, a feat made easier by the black jacket I had had the forethought in grabbing. It was tough trying to act casual when every bump and shunt caused my body to scream in protest. I had to swallow down every urge to hurl a fireball at next person to push past us. Instead I just kept focused on moving forward, one foot after the other.

After several escalator rides we soon found ourselves walking towards the ticket barriers, and last I checked neither of us had been in the position to stop by one of the booths before boarding our train. I rummaged through the jacket pockets and came up empty. It seemed like it was worth a try. There were plenty of people about so I could have tried my luck at picking a pocket or two and make like Fagin, but it would have been pot luck getting my hands on one ticket, let alone two. Jumping the barrier was also out of the question. Forgetting about the fact that I have just been tortured for God knows how long, I had a traumatised girl with me plus I’d have station personnel on me before I made it anywhere near the exits. Yes I know how to fight, I’ve been train in several fighting styles, but I wasn’t in any shape to start a brawl with people who didn’t deserve it. I was running out of options and as we stepped towards the barriers I realised there was only one way out of this, I would need to use magic. I honestly didn’t know how much there was left in the tank but I didn’t see another way out of this situation without it.

I placed my hand on the front sensor, the one used by people with those pre-paid Oyster card things (Lou has tried explaining them to me and while I understand the concept, I don’t see what’s wrong with an old fashioned paper ticket). I stepped in front of the girl and began to gather my will. Immediately a heavy pressure began to build behind my eyes, stars swam through my vision and the weariness in my joints intensified. It was slow going by usual standards as it took me a good view seconds to pull the simple hex together, but as soon as I had enough I released it with a whisper of “ _Hauta._ ”

My will flowed through my hand and into the barrier, leaving me quietly panting. Lights on the barrier’s machinery began flashing green and red, the gates slammed open and closed several times until it died.

The sheer effort needed to cast the hex surprised me. Usually it wouldn’t cost me any more energy than pulling the lid off a pen. Deep down a cold, rational part of me knew that I had just run out of gas. I had nothing left. I stood there panting, desperately fighting against the weariness that threatened to consume me when I felt a calm and soothing presence draw near. The girl had positioned herself under my arm, taking up some of my weight and helped me through the barriers. A sensation of warmth washed over me, spreading from the points of her touch and like before, all my worries and fears and troubles seemed light years away. My instincts screamed at me, telling me that focusing on the warmth was dangerous but it felt so good. It made me feel like everything was going to be ok, that the hurting would end. It made me feel safe.

But we weren’t safe. We were being hunted and in my current state I wouldn’t be able to do a thing to stop our pursuers if they found us. My head was telling me that we were all but defenceless but my heart wanted to embrace the nurturing warmth, believing in its protection. The most fundamental wars are that of heart against head. One telling you what feels right whilst the other tells you what’s best.

But instead of making a decision I just focused on my feet, focused on keeping them moving, one step after the other. It was something I could control, something neutral that knew neither safety nor danger, and they would do whatever I told them to. Well, most of the time anyway. But most importantly it was something I knew was real. My feet were there and I knew I had to keep them moving, I knew that they were necessary to get me where we needed to go. As I put one foot in front of the other I could feel the internal struggle begin to fade away behind the cold certainty of my movement and I used it to help build a wall in my mind, locking away those doubts and false securities. As the only one of us not semi traumatised, it wouldn't do us any good for me to fall under any kind of mental influence.

So we walked. We left Victoria station and headed out into the city proper.

As we reached the exit, daylight flooded our vision. I winced away from the dazzling brightness and noted that the girl had the same reaction. As we were going through the station I never thought to look at a clock. Not surprising really as there were more pressing concerns. The rush hour crowd we had been hiding in had been the morning commute. Everyone around us was busy trying to get to work, which also explained the overwhelming aroma of coffee all around us. Now I had stopped to think about it and take in the details, everywhere you looked there was someone walking past with coffee in those cardboard cups of varying sizes and brands. I felt my mouth being to water at the smell. It had been far too long since I had been able to taste the sweet nectar that is coffee. I had money on me before I was abducted, which I can't say I was surprised to find was no longer the case, otherwise I would have got some for myself and the girl. I needed to come up with something better to call her other than 'The Girl'.

"So what should I call you?" I asked. My mouth operating completely without my brains permission.

"Hm? She murmured as she looked up at me, dazed and confused, her eyes trying to adjust to the light.

Well I had started the conversation so I may as well carry on. "What's your name? We've been kidnapped and tortured together, it seems kind of rude not to learn your name."

"E...Ellie." She said. She was still pretty out of it but the fact that Ellie was responding to me was a good sign.

"Well it’s nice to meet you Ellie. I'm Gabriel but my friends call me Gabe."  

She mumbled something else that I couldn’t quite make out and I realised that I wasn’t going to get much else out of her. I was surprised that she was still moving let alone coherent enough to tell me her name. There was nothing else for me to do now other than to keep us moving forward.

We went east out of the station, shuffling through the crowded London pavements. My body continued to protest the fact that I was keeping it moving and not curling up into a ball. The continuous jostling from the masses around wasn't helping matters much either, but still I kept us on our path as I lead us along Buckingham Palace Road. We crossed over at the lights and then continued heading east turning onto Lower Belgrave Street. Thankfully we were very close to our destination. On a normal day the walk from the station would only take a couple of minutes but under the circumstances it's not surprising that it took us nearly twenty. We rounded the corner onto Chester Square and walked up to a white three story house. It was massive, I mean I could fit my flat into the place five times over and still have space free for storage. Joining to the main structure was an extension that even from street level I could see housed a roof top garden. It was the type of place that I could never afford to live in even if I didn't spend a penny from now until the day I died after eight lifetimes. I felt poorer every second that went by.

I knocked on the front door and waited for a minute. Nothing. I knocked again, this time a little harder and then stepped back to wait. Still nothing. I pounded the door in desperation and just when my heart began to sink in hopelessness, I heard the sound of a latch starting to turn.

“Ok, ok,” called a male voice from behind the door as it opened. “Bloody salesmen.”

A man stood in the doorway, just under six foot in height with black hair shaven close to dark skin. Lines on his face gave the impression of a life well lived, full of love and laughter and pain and anger and all the emotions a human was capable of. The uneducated would mistake him for a man in his late forties, but he was much older than that, by at least a century.

“Look whatever you’re selling I’m…” His rant trailed off as he saw me, eyes going wide with surprise. “My lord. Gabe?”

“Hi Joe,” I said. “I need your help.”

 


	15. Chapter 15

“Get your arse in here.” Joe said as he marshalled us through the open door. He looked up and down the street a few times before finally closing the door, pressing a metal latch across the lock. “What the bloody hell is going on?” He asked, looking at me and then Ellie.

“I’ll explain everything Joe but first I need to get her somewhere she can rest.”

He cast me a weary glance before saying “Alright, let’s get her to one of the spare rooms upstairs.”

Joe helped me get Ellie up a flight of stairs and then guided us down a hall and into a large bedroom. I hadn’t been joking before about the size, this room alone was nearly as big as my entire apartment. A king sized bed stretched out from the centre of the wall furthest from the door, tables resting on either side. A comfortable looking chair took up position next to a large window setting with floral style curtains hanging at each end.

I got Ellie over to the bed and she almost instinctively climbed in and got herself comfortable. Within seconds she was sound asleep. The softness of the bed seemingly indicating that she was now some place safe. We left the room, pulling the door behind us until it was ajar.

“So are you going to tell what this is all about?” Joe said turning his attention once again to me.

“I…er…” I started to talk but my tongue just didn’t what to respond. The light was becoming too bright, my limbs far too heavy and I didn’t realise I had fallen until I felt the cool wooden floor pressed against my cheek. I heard Joe saying something but it sounded as if he was on the other end of a long tunnel. Stars swam back and forth in my vision until everything went black and peaceful.

 

I awoke to find myself in an unbelievably comfortable bed. The type that actually make you feel like you’re lying on a marshmallow and will sink all the way down to the floor. I slowly opened my eyes and was greeted by the sight of yet another spacious bedroom decorated in a similar fashion to the room we put Ellie in. The only difference being that everything here was like a mirror image, everything being a reverse of its counterpart. I looked over to see Joe sitting in the chair staring out of the window, unaware that I was awake. It was hard to see his expression but it was clear that he was deep in thought.

I had known Joe for most of my life. He’s an old family friend of my parents, he and my dad liked playing golf together. Every Sunday he’d come over, golf bag in hand and the two of them would go off to have their fun. Sometimes I would go with them, dad let me be his caddie and I’d have great fun riding along in the golf cart. Occasionally I was allowed to bring Lou with me when we were at our inseparable pre-teen phase. I always thought that Joe was really cool, especially when I saw him occasionally ride up to our house on his motorcycle. I usually got really excited whenever I heard the rumble of the engine coming down the road. It wasn’t until my magic started to develop (when that poor bedside lamp was set on fire) that I found out the truth about him. It was on that day I found out that Joseph ‘Joe’ Shepard was a Wizard. He sat me down with my parents and explained it to us, about what it all meant. He told me that I had a gift, that I would be able to do great things if I learnt to control the power inside of me. But he also told me of the dire consequences if I ever misused that power and that if I decided to turn away from his help, he wouldn’t be able to protect me. I was barely old enough to shave and there I was being told that I had this magical talent and if I abused it people were going to come after me.

Naturally I chose to go with Joe. From there it was one wild thing after another; he took me to Edinburgh and introduced me to the White Council. I remember the first time I saw that place and, not to sound too cheesy, it really did seem magical. He taught me about his beliefs on where magic comes from and how we coexist with all these forces and never even realise it. That I could now manipulate these elements, bend them to my will, to use the powers of life and creation to protect people, to make things better. With his help I learned to control my abilities, to hone them into what they are today. It had been years since I graduated from being Joe’s apprentice and became a full member of the Council and from there to joining the Wardens. We occasionally catch up every now again to talk about life and matters involving the Council, go over training techniques and the like.

Since the end of the war Joe had taken a less active role in Council affairs and instead spent a little more time with his wife Rachel and their daughter Micha. Every so often he would be called upon to help teach young apprentices magical theory, under very controlled conditions.

He’s been someone I’ve been able to rely on for so many years that it’s hard not to think of him when in times of strife.

I tried to sit up in the bed but was treated to a quick shot of pain in my sides and I made a grunt of discomfort causing Joe to casually turned his head and look at me.

“You may want to take things easy for a little while,” Joe said. “You’ve picked up some impressive new injuries to go with your collection of scars.”

“Well what’s the point to starting a collection if you don’t have anything worth showing off?” I replied. Joe huffed out a breath of laughter. He stood up out of the chair and came over to me, standing next to the bed.

“Here, put these on.” Joe said passing me a pair of dark blue denim jeans and a white shirt. “I’ve burnt the clothes you arrived in as well as the bandages after I changed them out for fresh ones.”

As I slowly got out of bed, Joe backed away and rested himself against the arm of the comfy chair. Very gingerly I got myself dressed into the jeans and shirt.

“Thanks for this Joe,” I said as I began to button up the shirt. “We needed somewhere to lay low so I could plan our next step.”

“Gabe you know I’m always willing to help you, but I’m gonna need some context here. What the hell happened to you?”

I started from the beginning, taking him step by step from Lou asking for my help with her case to being tortured by Lilith and her gang of crazies. I laid it all out and Joe didn’t make a sound, he just listened to me, taking in all the information I was giving him.

“And that’s when we ended up on your door step.”

“Christ Gabe,” Joe swore. “No wonder you collapsed when you got here. You must have been running on pure adrenaline.”

“Yeah I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“So you have no idea who this girl is or why they wanted her?” He asked.

“All I know is that her name is Ellie and they wanted her pretty bad. But there are other things that just don’t make sense.”

“Like what?”

“They kept referring to her as the ‘half-blood’. And when we touched…Joe, her aura is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. There’s clearly some kind of talent there, powerful talent, but I don’t think she’s even aware of it. I mean the way the Thorn manacles were reacting to her, whatever it is it’s not something she can directly control.”

Joe looked pensive. “So you’ve got two groups. One full of, as you say, fallen angels and…”

“I’m pretty sure the other group was too.” I said interrupting him.

“Both groups?” He questioned.

“With the power they were throwing around it wouldn’t surprise me. The sense I got from their magic, it felt too similar to Louise’s war zone. It had to be them who fought the Fomor and blew that place up.”

“Ok,” Joe said. “So we’ve got two groups of fallen angels, which I still have trouble wrapping my head around, both after a girl who you brought into my home…”

“I’m sorry Joe,” I said, once again interrupting him. “The last thing I wanted to do was bring trouble down upon you and Rachel. Like I said, that Lilith looked into my head, all my usual places to lay low were compromised. I didn’t know where else to go…”

“Gabe,” Joe said, taking his turn to now interrupt me. “It’s ok, I’m not judging or blaming you. As luck would have it Rachel has taken Micha to her mother’s for a long weekend. They left about twenty minutes before you turned up.”

Long weekend? That didn’t sound right.

“Wait, a long weekend? Joe what day is it?”

He looked at me confused. “What do you mean? It’s Friday.”

Friday. When had I been taken again? Tuesday, Wednesday? Those bastards had cost me nearly three days. My mind kept spinning around the fact that I had lost time and everything it meant, the consequences of me having been missing for that length of time. Then my mind snapped onto one single thought and my heart sped up.

“Joe I need to use your phone.” I said after a few seconds of silence.

“Sure,” he said. “It’s downstairs. Come on.”

Joe led me back through the hallway and down the stairs to a waiting area. Two chairs stood either side of a small table, all of which was framed by an extravagant looking marble fire place. On the table was a small rotary phone that only matched the décor in its expensive appearance. I picked up the handset, input a memorised number and waited for it to ring. It rang through about three or four times before someone finally picked up.

“DCI Wheeler?” A voice answered.

“Lou, its Gabe.” I said feeling relieved to hear her voice.

“Gabe? Oh thank God. Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling you…”

“I’ve got a lot to tell you,” I said interrupting her. “But it’s better if we did it in person. Are you free to come meet me?”

“Sure, I’ll set off now. Where are you?” She asked.

“I’m at Joe’s place.” I answered. “But be careful. There’s the possibility that you might be followed.”

“Followed? What do you me…?” Louise started to say but I cut her off again.

“I’ll explain everything when you get here.” I said.

“Ok. Give me thirty minutes.” And then she hung up.

I put the handset back on its base and I looked up to see that Joe had a pensive look on his face.

“What?” I asked.

“Is it really a good idea to get her involved in all this?” Joe said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I replied, a little annoyance escaping with my words.

“Louise is a very capable young woman.” He started. I knew where this was going and I didn’t like it.

“Really Joe? This again?”

“Gabe, she’s a vanilla. I know she’s good at what she does, but you and I both know that this is way above her abilities and her authority.”

I huffed out a laugh. “I’d love to see you try and tell her that.” I said. Joe hit me with a level stare to signify that he didn’t appreciate the comment. “Look you may not like it but the truth is she’s already involved.”

“I understand that she is very important to you.” Joe said.

“It’s not about that,” I shot back. “When Lilith read my mind she saw who I was close to and she didn’t hesitate to try and use Louise as leverage. With that and the fact that Louise is the lead on the ‘gang war’ case, we need her to run interference with the police. What do you think would happen if they stumble across Lilith and her crew while they’re chasing leads?”

Joe was silent for a moment while he tried to think of a response. I knew there wasn’t one coming. What I said had been the truth, mostly. If the police caught up to either group it would be a massacre. Now I knew that Lou wouldn’t even consider the idea of leading the police on a wild goose chase but Joe didn’t know that, and I needed to get him around to my way of thinking quickly. Was it underhanded and deceitful? Probably. But things were spinning out of control so fast that I didn’t have the time to argue with him.

Finally after a minute of silence Joe nodded his head in conceit.

“Thank you.” I said. And then we waited for Louise to arrive.

While we waited Joe offered to make me a sandwich, which my stomach all but yelled out at him in response. You never realise how hungry you are until someone talks to you about food. He also put on a fresh pot of coffee and I almost began to drool uncontrollably. Joe passed me the first mug he poured and I nearly scolded my tongue in my eagerness to have some fresh caffeine in my system. I devoured the sandwich, which consisted of a few cold cuts from the fridge, with much the same enthusiasm and my stomach started to settle down to a contented murmur.

We sat in the kitchen in silence for a while and I took the time to study yet another enormous room. The kitchen had that showroom quality to it, spacious with a large marble bar resting in its centre. Everything was white, from the marble finish to the cupboard doors and everything was pristine. I had a feeling that was more Rachel’s influence than Joe’s. It was that same feeling that led me to believe that this was her area of the house, that what happened here happened on her say so. Rachel was also a member of the Council and she is _very_ good when it comes to remedies and potions. Joe loved telling me the story of how they met, about how he was training some wet behind the ears apprentice (and before you say it, no it wasn’t me. They were already happily married by the time I came on the scene.) and the apprentice accidentally set Joe’s foot on fire. He was taken to the infirmary, cursing up a storm and then he caught the eye of the attending Wizard. The way Joe tells it, it sounds like love at first sight. Rachel however informed me that he continued to whine like a child until she treated his foot and then badgered her to go out with him for nearly a month. She only said yes just to shut him up. But they have been together ever since so clearly they are doing something right. That apprentice later went on to become the Warden Commander for the UK and a continual pain in my arse. Sadly not all stories have completely happy endings.

The front door bell chimed and snapped me back to reality. Joe and I rose from our seats in the kitchen and made our way to answer it. It felt like we were going to have to walk miles to get there, but I was pretty sure that was just my skewed opinion of Joe’s home. We left the kitchen and walked through a living room which then led us to the waiting area by the foot of the stairs.

“Gabe you wait here and I’ll see who it is.”

I nodded and Joe went off down a hallway towards the front door. I heard him open it and begin talking to someone, a female someone from the sound of the voice. Louise had arrived. A moment later Joe appeared from the hallway followed shortly by Louise. She only nearly sent Joe flying in her eagerness to get to me. She came up and wrapped her arms around me tightly.

“Thank God you’re alright.” She said. She was clearly relieved to see me.

“Grragg,” I cried. “Not so tight.”

Louise took a step back and winced as I let out a pained sigh.

“What happened to you?” She asked.

“Let’s sit down somewhere comfortable and I’ll catch you up.” I told her. So we all went back through to the living room and took a seat. It was another very spacious room. A chandelier hung from the ceiling over two large sofas positioned along joining edges of a deep piled rug. I sat on the sofa facing another fire place and Louise took up position next to me on my right while Joe went and sat on the other one. I began filling Lou in on everything that had happened since I last saw her outside the Royal London Hospital. She quickly slipped into her ‘cop mode’ asking questions to get further details out of me, but most of the time she simply listened to what I had to say.

“Christ,” She cursed. “So where is Ellie now?”

“Upstairs,” I replied. “She practically passed straight out as soon as I got her here.”

“You and her both.” Joe added.

“I didn’t pass out.” I said. It came out maybe a little more defensive than I meant it to. “I just went into standby mode.”

Lou choked down a little laugh but Joe didn’t appreciate the humour as much as she did.

“My point being,” Joe continued. “Is that you pushed yourself too far. You tried to do too much too fast. You nearly got the both of you killed.”

“What was I supposed to do Joe?” I shot back. “It’s not like I had a lot of options.”

Before the argument could become too intense Louise quickly spoke up. “It doesn’t matter now. Second guessing after the fact is as useful banging your head against a brick wall.” She looked back and forth between the two of us, shooting me a quick wink as she turned her head. That’s my girl. “So what’s the plan now?”

And right on cue a horrified scream came wailing from upstairs. We all reacted within an instant and were rushing towards the source of the noise.

 


	16. Chapter 16

We entered the room to find Ellie sitting up in bed covered in a cold sweat, screaming. I rushed over, sitting on the edge of the bed next to her and she started scrabbling at the sheets to get closer to me. She frantically wrapped her arms around me and I did everything I could to not call out in pain. Instead I put my arms around her and did my best to be as reassuring as I could.

“It’s ok Ellie.” I said, trying to calm her down. “It’s ok, you’re safe now. It’s ok.”

It took several minutes but eventually Ellie’s breathing started to slow down to a more regular pace and her screams became gentle sobs. There was nothing else I could do except try to comfort her, so I stayed where I was on the edge of the bed cradling her in my arms. I saw Louise disappear and return a few minutes later with a glass of water.

“She’s dehydrated, she needs to drink.” Louise said as she sat on the edge of the bed facing us.

Ellie looked up at Louise and then to me as if asking for my help.

“It’s ok Ellie.” I told her again. “Louise is a good friend, you can trust her.”

She nodded her head slightly before sheepishly accepting the glass of water from Louise. She started taking small sips and after a moment said “Thank you.”

Now I could hear her voice more clearly I detected a subtle accent to her words. Irish maybe. We sat there for a while not saying anything, letting Ellie calm down as she continued to drink the water. Nobody dared move for fear of setting her off again but time was not on our side and I needed to figure out what was going on.

“Ellie,” I said as I slowly drew away from her. “Do you think you’ll be up for answering some questions?”

She looked up at me, her wide green, vulnerable, tear covered eyes searching my face, like there was something there that only she could see.

“Such scars.” She whispered.

“Erm…what?” I replied. King of wit, that’s me.

She closed eyes and shook her head before opening them again. “Sorry I thought… I thought I saw something. When I looked at you.” Now Ellie was opening up I could definitely hear an Irish tone accenting here words. Only problem was I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. “I saw something when we were on the train, when I looked at you, but I thought my mind was playing tricks on me.”

Ok this was getting really strange. Maybe she was just traumatised, everything was starting to catch up with her and she was imagining things. Yeah, maybe that’s it. Maybe.

“Ellie,” Louise said, drawing our attention to her. “I’m DCI Louise Wheeler with the Metropolitan Police. As Gabe said, I’m a really close friend and he told me about what happened.” She paused for a few extra seconds, giving everyone a moment to get their minds back on topic. I’d seen her use similar techniques in interrogations when a suspect started going off on tangents. It gives them a second or two to get their thoughts back on track before she starts questioning them again. “Do you know who kidnapped you?”

“N…no.” Ellie stuttered. She was trying to keep herself together whilst reliving the experience. “I had never seen any of them before in my life.”

“What happened the night they took you?”

Ellie’s composure began to crumble, a tear ran down her right cheek and she started shaking her head.

“I can’t,” She said, the tears once again beginning to flow. “I can’t, I just can’t.”

It was almost heart-breaking seeing this poor girl reduced to a weeping shadow of her former self. I didn’t know her, I had never seen her before that night yet I couldn’t help but feel that this girl used to be full of life and love and hope. A life that had been shattered by those sick, twisted sons of bitches.

I took her hand in mine and squeezed it gently, gaining her attention. Once again she looked up at me and our eyes met very briefly but I quickly fixed that by focusing on the end of her nose. It’s a good way to look at someone without actually looking at them.

“Ellie I know you’re scared and you have every right to be. What we’ve been through, no one should ever have to experience something like that. Me and Louise, it’s our job to make sure that these things don’t happen and sometimes that’s enough. But sometimes it isn’t and sometimes bad things do happen and then it’s up to us to make sure the ones responsible don’t get away with it.

“I’m sorry that you were dragged into this but we need your help. If we could do this without bothering you ever again, we would. But the truth is you have information that might help us catch and stop these people.” Ellie continued looking up at me, the stream of tears starting to slow. “So I’m asking, will you help us?”

The room was silent of a moment. Everything hung on what Ellie would say next. If she wouldn’t, couldn’t, help us then we would be stuck in the water without a paddle. We would have no leads, no information about what they were after, it would be a dead end that might prove fatal.

“Ok.” A quiet, shaking voice said into the silence. “Ok, I’ll help you.”

I smiled and simply said “Thank you.”

I heard both Lou and Joe let out a sigh of relief. Joe nodded to me, a quick acknowledgement for getting Ellie to open up and Lou just smiled at me, once again showing the dimples that drove me crazy. Whoa, steady on cowboy. Keep focused on the task at hand.

“So Ellie, can you tell us about what happened the night you were taken?” Louise asked again. It took a couple seconds but the girl eventually started to open up.

“I was on my way to meet some friends,” Ellie said. “I’m doing a Masters in Religious Mythology at London Metropolitan University. We had just handed in a big assignment that day so we wanted to go out and blow off a little steam. I was on my way out when these men all dressed in black grabbed me and put a bag over my head.” She stopped talking, her breath escaping in a quickening pace.

“You’re doing great Ellie,” Louise reassured her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “What happened next?”

Ellie took a couple of deep, steading breaths and closed her eyes, trying her hardest to keep it together.

“I…I couldn’t see where they were taking me because of the bag over my head. They carried me away, I guess into a van, the engine sounded kinda loud enough for it to be a van, and then after what felt like forever, they pulled off the bag and then I’m standing in the middle of that park.” It was all flowing out of her now, just like one long stream of consciousness. As if she was just trying to get the words out and the faster she said everything, the quicker it would all be over. “They handed me over to the old man and the guy with the tattoos and then they all started arguing.”

“Can you remember what they were arguing about?” I asked.

“The men in black were demanding payment, they said ‘the master they served needed what was offered’. Then the old man said that the deal was for them to take care of their adversary and to bring them the half-blood. That because they only managed half the task they would only receive half the reward.

“The men in black, their leader, didn’t like that and ordered the others to kill the half-blood and, he called them ‘the disgraced’ I think. That’s when I screamed. The guy with the tattoos chased some of the men in black off but a few stayed and that’s when…when.” Her sentence trailed off and she looked back at me. “You tried to save me.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t do a good enough job at the time.” I said with a half-smile.

Ellie returned it with a small smile of her own, and it looked good on her, more natural. However it was short lived as a frown began to form on her features.

“They…they,” She stuttered. “They kept calling me ‘half-blood’. Why did they keep calling me that?”

I shot Joe a quick glance before I answered. “I don’t know why they called you that. But I will find out what’s going on. I promise.” I gave her hand another reassuring squeeze and stood up. “Thank you Ellie, you’ve been a great help. We’re going to go and let you get some more rest.”

“We won’t be far away. Don’t worry.” Louise added as she too stood up and the two of us and Joe left the room, closing the door behind us as we did. We made our way back down the stairs and into the living room without making a sound, none of us wanting to say a word until we were far enough away so Ellie couldn’t hear us.

“So,” Joe said breaking the silence. “Was any of that useful?”

“Some, yeah.” I said. “I now know what caused all that damage at the car park this morning and what it was all about. Well, I know what it was about mostly.”

“Yeah but it’s not exactly information I can take back to the station.” Louise replied.

“Have I missed something here?” Joe interjected. “What are you two talking about?”

“The link to the Fomor.” I replied “They were contracted by Lilith’s crew to kidnap Ellie and to take care of the Terrible Trio. Unfortunately for the Fomor they bit off more than they could chew and got their arses handed to them. Hence the destruction of the parking structure.”

“So the theory of a gang war wasn’t too far off.” Louise said, huffing out a forced laugh.

“But unless I’m missing something, we still don’t know why they were after the girl.” Joe said.

“No we don’t. But before they went to the park they paid Reggie a visit. Lou what’s happening at the hospital? How’s Reggie doing?”

“Still unconscious. After you left he was in surgery for another five hours. Whatever it is they wanted from him, they wanted it bad.” Louise listed off everything Botis and Evil Gandalf had done to Reggie. It was tough to hear it and not have my mind treat me to memories of the last few days, images of Morax and his many torture devices, his twisted laughter echoing in the darkness. But then that hollow laughter started to change into something more haunting, it turned a few octaves higher and began to sound more like a howling scream. _The cry manifested into its own selection of flashing images of grotesque monsters, black as night save for the gleam of their fangs in the moonlight. At first I saw a couple, then a few more and then I was surrounded by hundreds, all long limbed with gnashing jaws. They were standing in an endless field, thunder and lightning flashing overhead and suddenly one of the beast’s starts clawing at its chest. Then another close by begins doing the same, so does the next, and the next and the one after that and soon each and every creature surrounding me is scratching at their chest, right over their black hearts. They all started screaming in unison and the sound was unbearable. It made me want to rip my ears off but just as it got to the point of being too much everything went silent._

I realised I had my eyes closed and my breathing had quietly sped up a little. When I opened my eyes again I found both Louise and Joe staring at me, concern masking both their expressions.

“Gabe are you ok?” Louise asked.

“Sure,” I said as convincingly as I could. “Recent events notwithstanding.”

“Ok I’ve been putting this off for a while now but with everything that’s going on I don’t think I can anymore.”

“Lou, what are you…” I started to say but Louise was quick to cut me off before I could finish.

“I’m worried about you Gabe.” She said

“Worried? Lou I can take care of myself. Granted they got in the first few punches but it’s nothing I can’t…”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.” She said interrupting me again. “When was the last time you had a complete night’s sleep?” I looked at her confused for a moment but then the cogs started turning and I got a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach. “When was the last time you didn’t wake up in the middle of the night covered in a cold sweat?”

“Gabe what’s she talking about?” Joe asked.

“It’s nothing Joe.” I told him. I looked back to Louise. “I’m fine Lou. I’ve just been plagued by a series of bad dreams, that’s all.” I said lying my arse off. “It’s not uncommon for that to happen to Wizards on occasion. Right Joe?” I turned to look at Joe and saw him studying me.

“Gabe is right Louise.” He said after a quiet few seconds. “Especially since the demise of the Red Court there have been cases of some Wizards being driven insane with visions. If Gabe is only having nightmares then he is one of the lucky ones.”

Louise still looked at me pensively, but after a stretched ten count she finally nodded her head. “Fine. But this conversation isn’t over. We will talk about this later.” The heat of her glare could melt hardened steel if she tried hard enough, but eventually she let it cool down enough that we were able to continue with our original topic of conversation.

“As I was saying,” Louise continued. “Reggie is still unconscious but I have told the doctors to contact me the moment he wakes up.”

We didn’t saying anything else for a minute as my brain worked furiously on trying to come up with a plan. We needed to step back and come at this from a different perspective. We needed a fresh pair of eyes on the situation, someone on the outside who could maybe tell us if we’re missing something. We needed more information about Ellie.

“We need to find out who Ellie is and where she came from.” I said breaking the silence. “Lou, do you think you’d be able to make some calls?”

“I guess,” She replied. “I’d be able to get more information if I was back at the station.”

“I’m going to need you here to keep an eye on Ellie.”

“Gabe I’m in the middle of an investigation…”

“I know,” I interrupted. “But this is to do with your case. Besides you’re not babysitting, you are guarding a valuable witness, that’s much more important sounding.”

Louise hit me with another one of her glares. I had received way too many of them for it to have the effect she wanted.

“Fine,” She sighed. “And what will you be doing whilst I’m ‘guarding a valuable witness’?”

“Me and Joe are going to see the Council. It’s a long shot but I’m hoping they may have some information that might be useful. Or at the very least they may have heard something.”

“If Louise will be more useful at her desk then I can stay and look after the girl.” Joe said.

“No I need you with me.” I replied. “With who I have to speak to I will need the help.”

Joe looked at me puzzled for a moment but nodded his head once he understood. “You’re going to speak to Marcus and you think it’ll go better if his old teacher was there.”

“It’ll certainly decrease the overwhelming need to hit my head against a brick wall, that’s for sure.” I said confirming Joe’s statement.

The comment brought a smile to his face. “He does tend to have that effect on people.”

“Ok, so we have a plan.” I said to the room in general, looking at both Joe and Louise. “Let’s put it into action.”

 


	17. Chapter 17

Travelling to Edinburgh for anyone else would be a time consuming task, not to mention the hassle a traveller has when dealing with check in times at the airport, or the inevitable delays when going by train, and don’t get me started on travelling by car.

Generally it’s a pain in the arse.

But when you’re a Wizard, things are a little easier.

In the Nevernever, the spirit world, there are certain points that closely intersect with our reality. From these points a practitioner with the right ability can open a doorway that would allow them to crossover into the Nevernever. The size of the opening and how long they can keep it open for all depends on the Wizard’s skill and magical chops. Where you end up when you crossover is tied into the environment of where you crossed over from. If you open a doorway from a cold, dark alleyway for example then you’d end up in a cold, dark area of the Nevernever. With me so far?

The really cool part about it is that it helps cut down travelling costs and commute time. You see you can travel to intersecting points by following paths known as the Ways. These are documented trails through the Nevernever that allow us to get from point A to point B in a matter of minutes. So what could amount to a five plus hour conventional journey turns into a fifteen minute stroll. Neat uh?

You just need to ignore the fact that the fifteen minute stroll is through the creepiest woodlands not on earth.

The trees stretched up high, the top branches getting lost in the black sky above us. And I don’t just mean that the sky was really dark, I mean black, like a giant soulless, lightless void. The only illumination came from the trees, the sheer whiteness stood in contrast to lifeless space above us and it seemed to give them an eerie glow. Or they could actually be glowing, this is the Nevernever. I started to call the place the Black Wood which slowly started to make its way around the younger Wardens and eventually the name stuck.

The opening to the Way was located in the heavily wooded areas of Hampstead Heath, about a thirty minute trip from Joe’s place and he hadn’t really said all that much for most of the journey. We crossed over without much trouble and began our trek through the Black Wood. We’d been walking for about ten minutes when Joe finally broken the silence.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about what Louise said.”

“Yeah?”

“Why did you lie to her?”

That question made me stop in my tracks. “Why do you think I lied to her?” I asked. It came out a little more defensively than I had meant it to and Joe saw right through it.

“I get that you don’t want to worry her but she has a point. If things getting more intense by the minute, you can’t be going into it half-cocked. You get sloppy and people could get hurt or worse. I taught you better than that.”

I honestly had nothing to say to that. He was right, he did teach me better than that but what was I supposed to say? I was part of a secret group within the White Council. That we played an active role in the extinction of an entire race. An act that even a year later, still haunted me. I had no love for the Reds, with everything I had seen and everything they had done, but what happened that night was just…it was just wrong. No one should have power like that, good or bad, it was something far too dark and depraved. Doing something wrong, even for the right reason, doesn’t make it right. Does it?

“So if you have something to need to talk about,” Joe said. “It would be better to get it off your chest sooner rather than later.”

“It’s nothing Joe.” I said trying to force a smile. I knew instinctively that he didn’t buy it. “I’m fine. Now can we please just get this over with? I’d really rather not spend any more time on this trip than is necessary.”

Joe just looked at me for a moment before shaking his head and huffing out a small sigh. “Fine.”

“Thank you.” I said and continued walking the path.

We walked the rest of the way in silence. Five minutes later we arrived at the entrance to White Council HQ. We were greeted by the Warden on guard duty, a stocky fellow with brown hair, a scar a couple of centimetres long that ran diagonally down his left cheek and holding a staff that was black in colour. We said the relevant counter signs, he let us pass and after a brief tingling sensation, as we passed back into our reality, we were in the tunnels that ran beneath the castle in Edinburgh. I never really like coming here all that much. The dark stone corridors always felt a little oppressive to me.

Now more so than usual.

We made our way through the hallways, passing the odd familiar face along the way. Slowly but surely we finally found ourselves in the Warden’s barracks, the area of the castle where the Wardens co-ordinate with the forces at large and plan strategies and tactics. It’s also where anyone stationed here slept at night, although being this far underground I’ve never really understood how they can tell what time of day it is. It was the size of a standard cavernous ballroom and even had the extravagant ceiling decorations that usually accompanies such surroundings. No crystal chandeliers mind you, but then again you can’t have everything.

In the far corner of the enormous room sat a large rectangular table surrounded by a group of seven individuals wearing the grey cloaks of the Wardens. As Joe and I moved in closer I saw the man we had come to see, Marcus Glacier, standing at the centre of the table’s furthest edge to us and all around him were his loyal guard. Just like in High School, the cool kids get their own table; approach at your own risk.

Marcus looked like your typical military commander; good physical condition with the presence that warrants everyone’s attention. His hair was cut short on the sides and back in a military marine style with threads of silver standing out against the natural blackness of its colour. A beard ran the contours of his jawline, joining up to form a goatee and in-keeping with the grey and black colour scheme. His features were covered in frown lines and he always had this intense look in his eye, like he was mere seconds away from inflicting extreme violence on whatever was close by. Then again that may just be my effect on him. What can I say? The guy’s a jerk.

Surrounding Marcus were a group of Wardens that accompanied him wherever he went. Seriously, if he went to the toilet they could tell you how many times he shakes it. They were like the poster children for a white supremacist group based out of Buckingham Palace; all grace and poise on the outside, like dashing men of honour and valour but the eyes gave them away. Each of them, their eyes were full of such resentment and distain for anything outside their wheelhouse. They were nothing more than guard dogs, loyal to no one but their commanding officer and his will. I won’t lie and say there haven’t been days where all I wanted was an excuse, but with the state of the Council as of late? Projecting a sense of cohesion was about all we could do, and that means no infighting. No matter how much the other person deserves it.

Around the table they seemed to be deeply locked in debate, stern hand gestures waving and pointing at a map laid out across its surface. I couldn’t really get a good look at the map from where I was but from the hushed voices it sounded like it had something to do with the current conflict against the Fomor. A Warden standing to the right of Marcus, a young squirrelly guy with glasses that I had never seen before, noticed the two of us moving closer and whispered something to the Warden Commander. Suddenly all the murmurs died down and several documents were scattered over the table, concealing whatever was beneath them from view. All seven sets of eyes began to stare at me and Joe and I distinctively got the impression that we had interrupted something.

“Warden Crane,” Marcus said, his tone barely masking the annoyance. I hadn’t even said anything yet and I was already getting to him. I was wrong before; hitting my head against a brick _was_ going to be the more useful option. “What do we owe the,” he paused. “ _pleasure,_ ” He forced out. “of this visit?”

I needed to play this carefully. Marcus’ dislike for me has always been common knowledge, especially to his entourage, but I was here to ask for his help and I wouldn’t be doing myself any favours if I let those feelings get in the way of what I came here to do.

“Warden Commander Glacier,” I said with as much politeness and professionalism as I could muster. I didn’t like the douche bag any more than he liked me but when needs must I can play the part. “I came here to report my findings about the possible Fomor incursion in London.”

That caused a few eye brows to raise. Like the hostilities between us, most people know that I would usually phone these types of reports in to save me the hassle of actually having to deal with Marcus face to face. The fact that I had actually shown up in person was next to unheard of, especially since my ‘sort of’ promotion meant that I only ever really dealt with Captain Lucio and the Senior Council. Even then I still called in unless I really had too. I could see the wheels turning furiously behind Marcus’ eyes as he tried to figure out what my angle was; and I was also pretty sure my choice of company hadn’t escaped his notice either.

After a moment’s pause Marcus spoke up. “I hope your appearance here with Wizard Shepard isn’t an attempt to try and distract us from some sort of failings on your part.”

And let the political games begin. By pointing out that I had arrived with Joe, Marcus had planted the seeds of doubt in the minds of anyone listening. What it says to them is that I can’t face Marcus in person without bringing his former teacher to possibly protect me. What he’s actually saying to me is that Joe can’t save me if I’ve cocked up. I hate Council politics.

I swallowed down the urge to throw a fireball in his face, opting to try and remain calm. Joe put a hand on my shoulder and said. “Marcus cut the smarmy superior tone. Everyone here is fully aware of Gabriel’s credentials and reputation. My presence here, if anything, is to lend credence to the severity of his report.”

Political translation, “ _Shut up you fool and get off your high horse. Everyone knows that Gabriel would much rather pluck out his eye brows then deal with you but we have a dangerous situation in London.”_

I clearly wasn’t the only one who understood the meaning behind Joe’s words as a few people took a sudden inhalation of shock and the group became very tense. There were only a handful of people who would dare talk to Marcus like that. He was just unlucky enough that two of those people just happened to be standing right in front him. His eyes narrowed and it was clear that he was trying to decide on how to react. In truth we had left him with very little wiggle room; Joe was not a Warden and as such Marcus had no authority over him. And the fact that Joe was his former mentor meant he was in no position to order him about. As for me, I’m now outside of his chain of command, he can’t pull his superior officer trump card on me anymore. The fact that he had tried to do so with this Fomor investigation was kinda sad when you thought about it. His last desperate act of trying to cling to whatever power he could.

Marcus slowly inclined his head in a gesture of acknowledgement. “Very well.” He said trying to contain his frustrations. “Warden Crane, what information has your investigation uncovered? Have you found out how the Fomor were able to slip into the city without your knowledge?”

It seemed as if his every reflex was to try and put people down. Firstly he underhandedly questioned my ability to stand up for myself, now he had just questioned my competency, my ability to watch over my city.

I swallowed down yet another homicidal urge and answered with as little malice as I could. “If you are quite done trying to goad me into a physical response Marcus, this matter is bigger than even your ego.” I didn’t give him the satisfaction of being able to reply and instead started to address the group. “I have found out that the Fomor where merely hired to do the bidding of another.”

“The Fomor recovered by the mortal authorities were merely foot soldiers. Cannon fodder.” Joe added. The intension of having Joe with me wasn’t only to help keep Marcus in check. As a well-respected Wizard in his own right, Joe can help lend a little more gravitas to the proceedings, to help make people take notice that there was serious trouble back home.

No one responded to our statements so I just continued. “After visiting one of my contacts I was put on the trail of one of the individuals who had contacted the Fomor.”

“Your task Warden Crane,” Marcus interrupted. “Was to find where the Fomor had nested themselves. Why were you running around on some wild goose chase?”

“Because it was my belief at the time I was hunting the Fomor.” I answered. “Upon coming to the end of the trail I did in fact encountered a group of Fomor Servitors who were terrorising what appeared to be two civilians, an old man and a young woman.” Marcus grunted with dissatisfaction at my reply as I had been able to successfully counter his remark. “It was only after defeating them did the real threat reveal itself.”

“Real threat?” Marcus spat. “What could possibly be more of a threat than the Fomor?”

Joe stepped forward making sure that all eyes were on him and that everyone was paying attention. “There are fallen angels in London. At least two groups of them. And they are at war with each other.”

The group fell silent. I let that bomb shell sink in for a second before I too stepped forward to stand next to Joe and continued.

“What I had thought was the Servitors attacking two civilians was in fact the opposite. I discovered that just before I had arrived, the Servitors had kidnapped the young woman on behalf of the old man and the group he was representing.”

“Then why were they fighting?”

“Because they also tasked the Fomor with taking out their rivals. They failed to do so and the fallen refused to live up to their end of the bargain”

“What was the bargain?” Marcus asked. His temper was starting to flare up but I couldn’t quite get a read on what was going through his mind. “What deal did they make with the Fomor, what had they promised them.”

“That is, as yet, unclear.” Joe replied.

“As stated, when I arrived on the scene they had already had their falling out.” I continued. “I learned of this partnership from the young woman…”

“Where is this woman?” Marcus interrupted.

“She is somewhere safe.” Joe answered.

“Then I would speak with her immediately, see if she can confirm this _story_.”

“That’s not going to happen.” I said.

“Excuse me?” He said, shock and annoyance both vying for dominance in his expression.

“I said that’s not going to happen. She’s traumatised. This girl has no idea why the fallen wanted her. They continually referred to her as ‘half-blood’ and…” I hesitated.

“And what?” Marcus insisted.

I knew I needed to tell him about Ellie but I also knew that she wasn’t ready for this. If Marcus found out where she was and learned of her potential, he would storm in there with his lackeys and grill her until he pushed her too far. It could cause her to do something that he would consider a threat and then he’d either put her down or he’d lock her away until he could find some use for her. Neither option was any better than if I had just left her with Lilith. But I had to give him something.

“She has talent.” Joe said before I could come up with anything. “She is unaware of this fact but by Gabriel’s report there is something unique about her.”

Marcus looked from me to Joe and back again, each glance as spiteful as the rest. We seemed to have at least got his full attention which was something of an achievement.

“Do you care to elaborate further Warden Crane?” Marcus asked impatiently.

“I…I felt her aura.” I said reluctantly. “I have never come across a mortal that possessed an aura such as she does.”

“All the more reason why the Council needs to bring her…”

“As Wizard Shepard mentioned,” I said, taking my turn to interrupt him. “The girl is unaware of this. She has no idea what is going on and is no condition to have you or your _guards_ drag her in for interrogation.”

Marcus’ face started to turn a deeper shade of red. I was clearly pushing the limits of his command but that was more his problem than mine.

“You spin this story,” Marcus said aloud, more for the groups benefit then ours. “This wild tale of fallen angels yet you have no proof. You simply expect us to take you at your word?”

“I would never expect _you_ to take just my word alone Warden Glacier.” I said, heavily empathising Marcus’ dislike for me. “Wizard Shepard has been assisting me and it is why we have come here together. To try and implore the Council to act and send us aid in dealing with this threat.”

The gears were once again spinning behind Marcus’ eyes. If I had approached them alone he would have been able to, with some twisted story, convince people that I was just incompetent and use that to oust me and get someone else in; someone more compliant to his way for thinking. But by coming along with Joe, once again my trump card derailed his plotting.

“You come here without proof and expect to Council to just drop everything on your say so? Does your arrogance know no bounds? What makes your word more vital…”

My anger got the better of me and my mouth let lose without checking in with my brain. “Seeing as I have just spent the last three days being used as their personal human pin cushion, I’d say my word is pretty damn good!”

I had just made a mistake. I could see Joe looking at me out of the corner of my eye; he wasn’t surprised by my outburst but he was definitely disappointed by it.

“So you allowed yourself to captured and tortured?” Marcus asked, seeing his opening.

“No.” I instantly replied, my tone hot with frustration. “I had just fought off the group of Fomor trying to save the civilians and I was caught off guard.”

“Are you telling me that a mortal girl saw you fighting the Fomor, that you intentionally exposed your position?”

“That’s not what he is saying Marcus,” Joe spoke out, interjecting himself into the conversation. “Why do you twist his words? Gabriel saved this girl’s life at great personal risk to himself. He did so to enable the gathering of further information to provide to the Wardens with the hopes they may lend their support.”

Marcus began to smirk and instantly I got the feeling that his brain was trying to work this to his favour.

“Let me get this right.” He said as he started a slow walk around the table. “Warden Crane, you were tasked with trying to find where the Fomor had made their incursion into your city; yet you have failed to do so and instead exposed the existence of the Council to a civilian girl and then proceeded to be taken prisoner by a group, who _you_ claim to be fallen angels.” He stopped in front of us and looked down his nose with disgust. “Meaning, at the very least, that your judgement has been compromised and as result put everyone here in danger.”

“What the hell are you playing at Marcus?” I asked.

“My duty is clear. My responsibility is the safety and wellbeing of all those under my command and the security of the White Council. Warden Crane, I hereby strip you of your rank and banish you. You are forbidden from setting foot in Edinburgh Castle ever again.”

 


	18. Chapter 18

The bottom fell out of my stomach and I stood there in shock. I had come to the Council seeking help and before I could even get to the heart of the matter, everything had begun to spiral out of control. I said before about trying to prepare for every situation but not even in my wildest imagination did I believe Marcus would go this far.

“Marcus this is madness!” Joe cried out. “The Senior Council will never let this stand. You’ve gone too far.”

“I am acting well within my role,” Marcus spat back. He indicated to two of his loyal guard, one with brown hair and lean features and another with blonde hair and goatee who had always reminded me of Errol Flynn. Especially seeing as the sword he carried strapped to his hip was an old style rapier. “The two of you are to escort _Wizard_ Crane out of the complex. Use whatever force you deem necessary if he resists.”

Ok this was bad. With that order Marcus had just given these guys free reign to do whatever they wanted to me. Once we were out for sight they could take the gloves off and call it self-defence; no one could argue any differently and I’m pretty sure Marcus would just sweep it under the rug if he could. He would at the very least put a spin on it to make his lapdogs look like heroes. Joe would speak up against it but it would be made to look like the ranting’s of a man who was grief stricken, lashing out at anyone near him instead of facing his pain.

As the two Wardens came closer and tried to grab me, I pushed past them and stood face to face with Marcus.

“This is bullshit!” I told him. “You and I both know you haven’t got the clout to see this through. McCoy would never…”

“ _Enough_!” Marcus shouted and the whole area fell silent. His eyes were crazed and infuriated in a way I had never seen on the man before. He was not acting like the seasoned veteran who had earned his way in the Wardens. He was acting like a power craving madman. “I will not have my authority questioned by anyone, least of all you.” He moved closer to me and spoke in a lower tone that only I could hear. “You may have bartered favour with the Council but I would sooner see you dead than usurping my command.” He stepped back and once again addressed the two Wardens. “Now get this filth out of my sight.”

The Wardens reacted, one grabbing me by either arm. I shrugged my right arm free and shoved Errol Flynn away only for Lean Features to catch me with a left cross. Everyone seemed to stop moving. I began to taste something coppery in my mouth; I touched the tips of my fingers to my lips and when I pulled them away again they were covered in blood. The blow had split my lip and as soon as I saw the blood something in my mind began to howl. I could feel my heart beat speed up and I just froze in place; but when I felt a hand clasp tightly onto my left shoulder, instinct kicked in. I reached for my will…

 

…and cried “ _Runya!_ ” sending out a lance of fire from the end of my staff. I sharply slashed the staff from left to right causing the flame to arc like a scythe, cutting down a small group Jaguar warriors. With another target down, I turned my attention to the next unleashing more fire upon a vampire in mid leap. It hit the creature and the resulting detonation sent it soaring over its target, a giant grey, shaggy dog. I won’t lie, that sight made me pause for a moment. Who brings their dog into a war like this? Then to answer that question the beast let out lion like roar and the ground shook beneath him. The freakin’ ground moved. Then little motes of blue light began to gather around him and he bounded up into the air to come crashing down on a couple of jaguar warriors, their necks snapping back and visibly breaking under his weight. Without a seconds delay the dog jumped back from the dead warriors to his previous position. The beast seemed intent on holding its ground, his eyes constantly moving trying to keep track of everything around him. A man was crouched down on one knee near the dog; he had pale skin and long black hair and was holding what looked like a desert eagle in one hand. Even in the din of war I could hear the gun barking as he pulled the trigger, each time sending two well grouped shots into the skulls of approaching Vampires. One after another the creatures fell but they were getting closer and closer to their position; each time he needed to reload the Vampires made it that much further meaning the man would need to be that much quicker on the draw, increasing the need to reload again that much sooner. The pair were working well together, the dog watched the right flank while the guy watched the left, but it didn’t make much sense, why were they not moving, why were they staying in one spot?

And then I saw my answer.

Close to where the man was kneeling a young girl lay on the ground, she was pale, sickly pale and I saw a huge gash running along her leg. They were trying to protect her.

Something howled behind me drawing my attention. I span around to see what was happening to find a Vampire in mid leap baring down upon me. I didn’t have time to react so I just braced myself, flinging my arms out in front of me in a defensive gesture. A bolt of lightning streaked through the air and ripped into the creature. The thing screamed out in pain as the impact sent it tumbling off course and crashing to the ground a couple meters away. I looked over to see where the bolt had originated from to find another of my grey cloaked companions, his staff held outstretched.

“Go,” He called out in a deep, synthesised voice. “Help them. I’ll cover you.”

I nodded my thanks and ran off to intercept another group of three jaguar warriors rushing towards the wounded girl. I readied my will and began feeding it into the two silver rings on my left hand, building up a small, multi-layered ball around it. Whilst doing this I also reached out to the air around me, using it to push me forward, help me move faster than normal.

Wizards have theorised for centuries about being able to use the elements to their advantage. Using terramancy to draw upon the forces of the earth to make them stronger, tougher, as immovable as a mountain. It’s along those line that others looked at the element of air to increase movement speed and in some rare reports, even fly. But such talents came at a cost. Being able to move fast was all well and good but it left the body vulnerable; so focused were they upon their achievements of harnessing the elements they didn’t realise the toll it was taking. The human body can only cope with going so fast before it broke bones or even died. The research has been tabled and picked up so many times over the centuries that I’ve lost count but it only takes someone doing it right once for everyone to start paying attention again.

As I called upon the air around me a pressure started to build up inside my head. Trying to concentrate on two active spells at the same time is not for the faint of heart, no matter how small one of spells may be. Having the foci, the two rings helped but I couldn’t deny the toll it was taking. There was nothing else for me to do but continue to push through the pain; a girl’s life was at stake and I was not going let these monsters have her. I dug down deep, using all the anger I had left for these creatures and my pace quickened rapidly; the small, layered invisible ball of force that circled my left hand solidified and pulsed in steady rhythm. I was twenty paces away from the incoming group, ten, five. I drew back my left hand, clenching it into a fist and prayed that I could pull off a second successful surprise attack. I closed in and lashed out, the sphere of force held in my left fist collided with the warrior’s jaw with the speed of a racing car. The multiple layers I had created softened the impact on my joints but for the warrior it had the opposite affect; I connected like a freight train and his head twisted around with an audible _crack_ of a broken neck _._ Its lifeless body tumbled away as I skidded to a stop a couple of feet away. The remaining warriors both stopped in their tracks, utterly surprised by what they had just seen; but they were quick to compose themselves however as they turned their full attention to me.

One down, two to go.

They both moved away from each other, splitting up to divide my attention. It was a smart tactic, with their speed one of them would have a clear shot at me if the other caused a distraction. They circled around me, stalking me with a pace that was getting harder to keep an eye on the pair of them. I turned to my side, making sure my back was never truly turned but I wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long. My right foot knocked against something and a quick glance down showed me the shattered remnants of an obsidian blade; the sword had been broken but the jagged edges connected to the hilt still looked sharp enough to cause some sort of damage.

The warrior on my left cried out and started to rush me. I unleashed my will, snarling “ _Tor’lian!_ ” I reached out with my magic, taking hold of the broken hilt and with a slash of my staff sent it sawing upon my attacker. The sharp edge of the weapon sank into the warrior’s right shoulder and its momentum faltered, causing it to stumble. That attack had forced my hand; my focus had been drawn, leaving my back exposed for the second warrior. I felt a hand clasp tightly onto my left shoulder and instinct kicked in. I reached for my will…

 

…span around and hit the guy square in the chest with the palm of my hand. As I connected I unleashed my will with a snarl of “ _Vilya_.”

Wind rushed in, re-enforcing my strike and the lean featured Warden went flying backwards, coming down hard on a coffee table several feet away. Wardens nearby all but fell over each other trying to get out of the way in time.

“Enough of this.” Marcus cried. “Detain Wizard Crane _now_.”

Errol Flynn charged towards me, his silver rapier now unsheathed; he raised the sword above his head and brought it down again in a diagonal slash. I parried the strike, sidestepping to my left and I felt the air sweep across my face as the blow cut nothing but empty space. I reached out with my right hand…

 

…and grabbed hold of the hilt protruding from the warrior’s shoulder. With a sharp yank I pulled out the remains of the blade, causing the creature to cry out in pain and drop his own obsidian weapon. With the hilt still in hand, I reversed my grip and jammed shattered blade down as hard as I could through the thing’s foot, pinning it in place. The warrior cried out again and it fell to one knee, trying desperately to free itself. I rose to me feet taking hold of the warrior’s head and kneed it hard in the face. I felt something give as my knee collided with the creature and as its head reared back I saw dark blood flow like a stream out of its broken nose. A roar sounded from behind me and the second warrior was now back to its feet and coming straight for me. I reached down, dropping my staff, and picked up the discarded sword, raising it above my head to defend myself. The two weapons collided…

 

…and steel rang against steel as Lean Features’ silver long sword met the silver rapier now held tightly in my hand. He had the superior leverage and used it, bearing down on me with all his weight. With the blades getting closer and closer to my face, I knew I wouldn’t be able to match him in a contest of strength so I didn’t bother. I stepped back on my left foot and reversed my momentum. He was relying on his power to overcome me and hadn’t anticipated my actions; his blade slid off mine and he stumbled past, his footing now lost. He recovered quickly however and turned to face me in time to feel the rapier’s hilt guard catch him on the jaw. Lean Features staggered back, his bells rung from the hit and with a quick flick on my wrist I lashed out with my sword, cutting him across his forearm. A cry of pain escaped Lean Features’ lips and he swept out with his right arm, swiping his blade in anger…

 

…I batted the blow aside and caught the creature with a slash to its ribs. The thing let out a bestial roar and came at me again, all power and ferocity. I tried to strike with the sword again but the thing got in too close, too quickly for it to do any good. It tackled me, forcing me to drop my sword and we both went down to the ground. We wrestled for a moment, both vying for dominance but it was stronger than me and I soon found myself on the losing side of the struggle. The warrior pushed my back against the ground and lashed out with a closed fist that caught me on the side of my head, before it leapt off me. My head hurt, a lot and I was starting to see stars; I tried to get up, but my arms and legs felt sluggish and didn’t respond as quickly as they should. I had also lost track of the creature for a moment and that frightened the hell out of me; in a fight not knowing where your opponent is, losing focus even for a second can mean the difference between life and death. Something cried out above me and I looked up to see the warrior, obsidian blade raised above his head, about to strike. I rolled to my left and its weapon missed me by mere inches, the tip burying into the ground. I kicked out with my right leg and hit the beast in the ribs, the side where I had previously scored with the sword. The creature let out a cry of pain and fell on to its side, clutching at its rib. I quickly rose to my feet and the warrior tried to lash out once more with its sword but I simply hopped back a step and the attack went sailing past. It managed to rise to its hands and knees only for me to land a kick to the side of its head, eliciting yet another howl of pain. I walked over to retrieve my fallen obsidian weapon and stood over the whimpering creature. It looked up at me, fear in its eyes and all I could think was ‘ _good_ ’. Now it knew how all the victims of the Red Court felt when they saw death coming for them, when they realised they were about to die. I raised the blade above my head for one final strike…

 

…“ _GABRIEL!_ ” I heard Joe bellow.

I looked around to find the gaze of everyone in the room upon me; eyes full of shock, surprise and fear. I blinked a couple of times. What happened? What had I done? Lean Features was looking up at me like a deer caught in the headlights; he was bleeding from a cut on his arm, ribs and close to his right eye. Behind me Errol was on the ground with equally bloody wounds to his right shoulder, foot and face. I let my arm go limp to my side and the rapier fell to the floor with a clatter. I looked over to Joe and his features were heavy set with concern and worry but he didn’t say anything else, he just held his hands out in a passive gesture. No one in the room dared to make a sound or move an inch, none eager to disturb the tension.

Marcus watched on seemingly confounded as to how to respond to what had just happened. I shook the haze from my mind and cast him one last glance then turned to leave.

“What are you all standing around for?” Marcus called. “Take that man into custody. Now.”

I stopped by the doorway and looked back over my shoulder. The other Wardens hesitated. All of them. They had just seen me take out two of Marcus’s elite single handed and unarmed and they didn’t want to follow suit.

“That is an order.” He called out again to the room at large. “I command you, all of you, to apprehend Wizard Crane.” There were a couple of shuffles but again no one made any attempt to follow Marcus’ orders. The look in his eyes was something crazed, frenzied even. Something wasn’t right with him but I was in no mood to deal his psycho paranoia. So instead I simply turned my back on him, and the desperately needed help I had come for, and left.

 


	19. Chapter 19

I stormed through the tunnels without stopping or slowing down or speaking to anyone. I just headed for the Way back to the Nevernever, crossed over and kept wondering out into the Black Wood. It wasn’t until I was sure I was out of sight of the Warden sentry that I lessened my pace and came to a gradual stop. I was breathing hard and my hands were visibly shaking; there was a pounding in my chest and I wasn’t sure whether it was my heart trying to escape by force or something else. A shout broke free from my lungs that echoed off into the distance and then I dropped to my knees, physically and mental exhausted.

There was a rustling sound and then Joe appeared. I looked up at him coming towards me and there were no words that adequately described the expression on his face; it was like a mixture of rage and confusion and concern, all rolled into one.

“What the bloody hell was that?” Joe demanded as he stood in front of me.

“Joe I…”

“And don’t even think about saying ‘ _I’m fine_ ’.” Joe interrupted. “What just happened, what you almost did, and the look that was in your eyes, that’s not my definition of ‘fine’.”

I honestly couldn’t think of anything to say. I tried to find words to put into a sentence but there was nothing.

“Marcus severely overstepped his authority and he will answer for that, I promise you, but losing your shit like that? Gabe your actions just cost us the Council’s aid. You know what Council politics are like; Marcus will report you and a full investigation will follow and heaven only knows how long that will take.” He let out a heavy sigh and crouched down in front of me. “Gabe what were you thinking?”

I was barely holding it together anymore. I could feel everything unravelling before me and the longer I continued to keep things to myself, the quicker I would lose myself and soon there would be nothing left.

“I…” I croaked, feeling my throat begin to tighten up. “I think I need help Joe.”

“Louise was right before wasn’t she?” Joe asked. “She was right to be concerned.”

“I don’t know what to do anymore.” I said. “I see it every time I close my eyes. It’s always there like I’m reliving it over and over again. It never stops.”

“Gabe?” I could hear the concern and confusion in Joe’s voice. He placed a hand on my shoulder and looked at me. “What are you talking about?”

“What you know about the end of the war isn’t true, not entirely.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean you and the rest of the Council don’t know the whole story of how the Red Court ended.” I told him. I could feel the agitation building in my voice as I spoke.

“Gabe you’re not making any sense. Why would you say that?”

“Because I was there!” I called out. “I saw the Red Court die.”

My voice again echoed through the Wood but once it had faded we were left in silence. Joe just looked at me in shock. After a few seconds he rose to his feet and paced back and forth and began to scratch at his head, as if it would help to get his brain into gear. It was a big enough bombshell just telling him I was there but I knew he was going to want answers, an explanation at the very least. But what I knew was dangerous, fatal even, and it was something I wouldn’t wish on anyone most of all the people I cared about. Telling Joe would be as good as handing him a death sentence and I couldn’t do that to him, to Rachel or Micha. Could I? If I didn’t talk to someone, anyone, I honestly didn’t know if I would be able to survive what’s happening long enough to be of use to anyone.

“I was there Joe,” I said. I could feel the emotional floodgates beginning to crack but I continued regardless. “At the end. I saw it all.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense.” Joe said. “All Wardens had been told to stand down by Cristos. No one was sent to fight the Red Court.”

“Things aren’t right with the Council, they haven’t been for a very long time.” I told him.

“Are you telling me you defied orders from the Senior Council?”

“No, it was the opposite. I was there on orders. Joe I was with McCoy. Him and a small group of Wizards, we all went to Chichén Itzá to support Dresden. The Reds were working a ritual that would have meant bad news for the Council, but Dresden he…” My voice gave out as the memories came flooding in. The eerie howls. The dark power. The stench of death.

Joe stopped pacing and looked down at me. “What happened?” he asked, his voice as gentle as he could make it.

“He…er…he somehow manage to turn it around, used the Red’s ritual against them. I can’t begin to describe what I saw, what the effects of the ritual were. So much death.”

Joe said nothing. He started pacing again and did so for a full minute, remaining silent. I couldn’t think of anything else to tell him. What more could I say? I was already approaching a very sensitive and very dangerous subject as it was; I mean I had basically just told Joe that one member of the Senior Council acted out in spite of another. CristosD was preaching peace between the Red’s and the Council and McCoy took us to war with them. Sure a lot of Wizards thought Cristos was full of it but there were those that bought into his sermons, that the notion of peace really was on the cards. Naturally it was a load of bollocks but that didn’t change what had happened. Didn’t make what happened any better.

“So let me get this straight.” Joe said, finally breaking the silence. “You’re telling me that a member of the Senior Council took you and a handful of other Wizards to fight the Red Court because of Dresden?” Joe looked at me expectantly, like I was supposed to have the answers he wanted.

“It was a little more complicated than…”

“Do you realise how crazy that sounds?” Joe said, interrupting me. “That you helped wipe out an entire race. Gabe are you listening to yourself?”

“Don’t you think I know that Joe?” I shot back. “I was doing everything I was trained to do as a Warden; fighting those that meant to harm innocents. Are you forgetting that I was meant to go to Archangel Joe? I was meant to be there when the Reds attacked.”

“Gabe your orders were changed last minute. Archangel would’ve fallen with or without you, you can’t blame yourself for that.”

“I don’t blame myself. I blamed them! I blamed those filthy fucking beasts and I said I would do everything in my power to make sure they never did anything like that again. That’s why I kept training, kept fighting them. That’s why I become the person the Council called whenever they had vampire problems. But even that wasn’t enough, they still managed to nearly wipe us out.”

“And we paid them back a year later.” Joe said.

“But things changed during that battle Joe. The Council changed. There were things happening in the background that no one knew about until it was too late.”

Joe thought on that for a moment before he spoke up. “You’re taking about Peabody aren’t you?”

“It wasn’t just Peabody Joe, he’s just the only one who’s been caught. There’s something working against the Council and it’s tearing us part from the inside.”

“Jesus Gabe now you’re talking about a conspiracy? It’s was proven that he was working with Donald Morgan.”

“Yeah Morgan, The Merlin’s most trusted right hand, suddenly out of the blue decides to kill LaFortier and plots to control the Council.” I could see the look in Joe’s eyes as I spoke. I knew this wasn’t the first time thoughts like that had run through his mind, but he had never vocalised them, erring on the side of caution. “Then there’s Peabody, a glorified pencil pusher. He’s smart but no way was he able to come up with something that could mentally compromise the majority of the Council. Not on his own.”

“So you’re saying there _is_ a conspiracy?” Joe asked sceptically.

“I don’t know if it’s a conspiracy or something else, but you can’t tell me you haven’t noticed anything. Seen something that really didn’t fit.”

“Like a highly decorated Warden Commander acting like a power hungry lunatic?”

“That is the most obvious example.” I agreed.

Joe went silent again and recommenced his pacing while he tried to filter through everything I had told him. The pounding in my chest had settled down to a mild drumming as I shared my burden, giving credence to the old saying ‘the truth shall set you free’.

“Myself, McCoy and a few others, we are trying to save the Council. We are trying to, I dunno, set things right I guess you could say. The first thing we did was go to Chichén Itzá and…and…” My throat started to go dry and tighten as I tried to speak, tried to explain myself to Joe, but just mentioning the events was enough to bring everything back in vivid detail. “Joe that’s a power no one person should ever have. Not even the good guys. I hate the Red’s but what happened was wrong and I can’t carry this any longer. Not by myself.”

Joe stopped pacing and crouched down in front of me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

“Gabe you aren’t alone. You have people willing to help you, you just need to let them.”

He stood up and offered me his hand. I took it and Joe helped me back up to my feet. They say sharing a heavy burden helps make the load easier to bare; I can honestly say I never really believed it. At least not until now.

“Once we have gotten ourselves out of this mess, we’ll sit down and talk everything through.”

“Thanks Joe.” I said

“Well then, what say we get out of here and head home?” Joe asked.

“Sounds like a plan.” I replied and we set off down the trail.

We didn’t say much else for the rest of the walk. I mean I didn’t know what else we could really talk about after such a revelation; but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, we were just people who believed that you didn’t always need to fill it with talk. The walk back was uneventful and we crossed over with ease, once again finding ourselves in Hampstead Heath. Through the trees I could see that the sun was just starting to set along the horizon. The trip had taken most of the day, or least I hoped it had only taken the day. Sadly the down side of using the Nevernever to travel is that the progression of time there isn’t exactly reliable. Spending maybe an hour or two in the Nevernever can sometimes mean four or five hours can pass in the real world. It isn’t an exact science but it can be harmful, especially if you’re on a tight deadline.

“Bugger.” Joe swore. “This trip has taken longer than we planned for.”

“Yeah. We had better get back to yours quickly.”

“I’m afraid I can’t let you run off so fast.” Called a voice from the trees.

I turned to see three figures step out from behind the trees and my stomach dropped. Lion-O, Goth Girl and their intense leader, all looking like they had the night when they inadvertently saved me from Lilith’s crew.

“Gabe,” Joe whispered. “Who are these guys?”

“Remember the other group of Fallen?” I replied.

“Yeah?”

I nodded my head towards the trio in answer.

“Bollocks.”

 


	20. Chapter 20

The last time I had seen this group, Lion-O was being used as a bulldozer by Morax but he didn’t look any worse for wear; in fact he looked as if those events had never happened. All I really knew about these guys was that they were after Ellie as well and needless to say I wasn’t about to let them have her. But seeing them did bring one glaringly obvious question to mind, how did they find us?

“So what’s the plan?” Joe whispered to me.

“We play it calm,” I replied. “And if things escalate, we head back to the Nevernever and find a way around them.”

“Are you crazy? We could be lost in there for God knows how long.”

“But at least we would be alive.” I shot back.

The ring leader started to approach us while the other two stood back, watching intently.

“You have something we want Wizard.” He said. “It would be wise if you didn’t resist.”

“Well maybe if you gave me a little more to go on I might be able to help.” I replied instinctively. I really didn’t want to make this guy angry, he was as dangerous as they came, but I needed to see what information I could get from him. I needed to find out what the hell was going on.

“I mean you’ll have to forgive me if I’m not very forth coming with you guys,” I continued. “You weren’t exactly friendly the last time we met. Or did I just imagine the whole death threat thing?”

“We had other concerns.” He responded. His tone calm, matter of fact but his eyes still burned with the same intensity I had seen in previous encounters. “I may still kill you if you don’t hand over what we want.”

“And what is it that you want?” Joe asked.

“The half-blood.” He responded without taking his eyes off me. Ok so I was the sole focus of this discussion, he didn’t seem to care that Joe was standing next to me. I wonder if the others were in the same mind set.

“Answer me something first.” I said as I walked a few paces to my right away from Joe. All eyes followed me. “Who are you and what’s your connection to Lilith?”

A growl rumbled from his throat as his lips parted in a small snarl. “I am Abaddon, the destroyer. And my connection to that whore is not your concern; you need only know that we share the same intent in that I will kill you if you stand in my way.”

Gulp. I tried to keep my legs from buckling in terror as I continued walking around the trio and away from Joe. Each of the three fallen angels continued to track my movements, their gaze was so intense it was almost to the point that I could feel the pressure starting to weigh me down. With all three of them watching me so closely trying to escape would be problematic; I would barely have enough time to release a defensive spell before one of them would be on me. I could also forget about actually fighting back, I’d be dead before I could think of something to hit them with. With my options so limited the best thing I could do was to try and stall them, at least until a better opportunity presented itself.

Stall a group of fallen angels. Sometimes my life just sucks.

“The girl, why do you want her? What is she to you?” I asked.

“A means to an end.” Abaddon answered.

“What end?”

“The end of my plans.”

Yeah, trying to stall this guy was going to a lot harder than I thought.

“Well despite your dazzling communication skills, you’re not really giving me anything? Why should I hand her over to you? Why not just pass her over to Lilith?” The intensity level in Abaddon’s glare increased tenfold after I once again mentioned Lilith. Wow he really didn’t think much of her.

“If you wished that whore to have the half-blood you would not have taken _it_ with you when you escaped.”

His choice of words, the way he called Ellie ‘ _it_ ’, it was clear that he meant what he said. That she really was nothing more than a means to an end for him, just some object to be used and disposed of when the job was done. It was a notion that made me sick to my stomach.

Every living person has a worth and although they may never show it or realise it, that doesn’t mean we get to turn our backs on them. Regardless of Marcus and his insane ramblings, I am a Warden of the White Council and it is my duty to protect them. It was once said to me that a Warden is nothing more than a promise; a promise to protect people, even if that means giving your life. It’s an ideal that I’ve held onto, it’s what gives me the strength to step out in front of the creatures that prey on the innocent and helps me stand firm when I’m squaring off against three fallen angels.

I felt my knuckles start to strain and I realised that my right hand was clenched tightly into a fist. I also noticed that all three of the Fallen must have picked up on something as their postures, while not drastically different, had shifted subtly as if to be ready to defend or destroy at a moment’s warning.

Ok so everyone is a little on edge as well as determined. This could get messy very quickly if I wasn’t careful. But on the other hand, maybe messy was the way to go.

“So both you and Lilith want the girl? How about you tell me what I get out of this? What’s in it for me?”

It may have just been my imagination but I thought I could see a few faint strands of smoke curling up from Abaddon’s hands. The aroma of sulphur hit my senses next followed closely by the stirring of magical energies around us; the Fallen were starting to lose their patience with me. Well then, how about I continue poking them with the preverbal stick and see what happens.

“Seriously, nothing?” I said continuing to goad them into a response. “I’ve dealt with a lot of crap trying to clear up your mess. First the war zone that caught the attention of the mortal authorities and then the Fomor…”

I saw something change in Goth Girl’s stance and gaze, she seemed surprised that I had been able to piece together their involvement in everything. Wow she really didn’t think much of me did she?

“What?” I asked rhetorically looking at Goth Girl. “Come on it’s not hard, I can put two and two together. The whole place reeked of Hellfire.” I turned my gaze back to Abaddon, then shifted it down to his fists. “Just like this park is starting to. So I ask you again, what’s in it for me?”

“You get to live.” Abaddon snarled. “You refuse, you die.”

My lips parted in a wolfish grin. “You kill me and you don’t get the girl.”

“One way or another, you’ll tell us what we want to know.” He countered.

“You’re threatening me with torture? Why don’t you go ask your buddy Morax how well that worked out for him?”

A growl sounded from behind Abaddon and Lion-O stepped forward. His hands were flexing and it looked as if the tips of his fingers were growing into sharp claws. I really didn’t want to see what he planned to do with those. I fought to keep my body under control and not move on instinct. When someone comes at you like that, with the desire to cause unspeakable acts of violence apparent in their eyes, instincts will tell you to either run as fast as you can or react in an equally violent manner. It was difficult but I managed to keep my breathing steady and my expression neutral; I even went as far as to look bored with the whole situation.

“Tell your cub to stand down,” I said never taking my eyes off Abaddon. I tried to make myself sound as unimpressed as possible. “Or you’re never going to find the girl.”

Abaddon raised his right hand and Lion-O stopped in his tracks but his growl continued to rumble on. I honestly didn’t think that would work. Either Abaddon was toying with me or he was buying into my bluff, either way this could only go on for so long. Time to push for some answers.

“That’s better. Now you say that the girl is nothing but a means to an end for you, but what’s your end game? Is there any place I should be avoiding in the near future?”

My question brought a smile Abaddon’s face. When the bad guys smile at you like that, it’s never a good sign.

“What’s so funny?” I asked.

“There is nowhere you can run to avoid the Gates of Hell.”

The Gates of…oh crap. Was that his plan? Did he really mean to unleash Hell on earth? My mind raced to catch up with all the possibilities that spiralled out from his words. Opening the Gates of Hell, breaking that seal would unleash every horror you could imagine and an endless supply of the ones you can’t. Normally spirits and demons and the like wouldn’t be able to crossover from the Nevernever unless they had been summoned and even then it’s complicated and tricky. A summoning ritual is essentially where an individual, or individuals, bring something through the veil into this reality, they create a doorway for the thing to crossover because it wouldn’t be able to do so otherwise. Cracking open the Gates would mean that beings from the Nevernever would be given a free pass into our world; and this wouldn’t be like in the movies or on TV, it wouldn’t just mean a sharp rise in the number of possessions or demonic rituals. The Nevernever is a vast realm with some very dark corners, corners you wouldn’t want to look too closely at unless you wanted to go insane. We’re talking monsters of myth and legend, ghosts or all shapes and sizes and Old Gods from the times before man was even a bubble in the primordial ooze.

“You want to open the Gates of Hell? That’s your plan?” I said trying to keep my voice steady, to not let them know that I knew I was in way over my head.

“That is part of my plan.” Abaddon said. “It will lead me to my true goal.”

“Which is?” I said trying to pry out every bit of information I could.

Abaddon went to open his mouth to respond but was cut off by Goth Girl. “He’s stalling us.” Abaddon looked back to her for an instant and clenched his fist. That was the only warning I got. He turned back to face me with his hand out stretched and a ball of crimson fire came hurtling towards me. I managed to get my shield up in time for all the good it did. The red hot sphere detonated as it collided against the magical barrier; my shield soaked up some of the impact but there was just too much raw power behind the attacked and my shield exploded, sending me flying back over several feet of grass. I landed on the ground hard, air escaped my lungs as I touched down and I was left wheezing for a moment.

“No more games.” Abaddon bellowed. “Gives us the half-blood. We won’t ask again!”

Outmanned and outgunned, this wasn’t the best of situations to find myself in but as crazy as this sounds, I’ve been in worse. I got back to my feet, brushing the dirt off my clothes and faced Abaddon and his crew head on. I couldn’t match their magical strength, at least not all three of them together at the same time, but then again a contest doesn’t have to be won on strength alone. I felt a presence close behind me and a smile crept across my face.

“You see the thing is,” I said. “I hate people telling me what to do.”

With no warning Abaddon hurled another ball of Hellfire towards me. I had been drawing in power since a few seconds after I hit the floor; I moved my right hand in a circular motion, palm facing upwards and felt the wind around me start to stir in response to my spell. As the ball of fire raced towards me I unleashed my stored magic shouting “ _Cyl’nan,_ _Vilya!_ ”

The air began to circle in front of me, twisting and spinning in rapid motion, forming into a miniature tornado that rose up thirty feet into the air. The two spells met with spectacular results. As the Hellfire crossed into the column of air the two elements fused together; the upward draft of the cyclone engulfed the flaming ball, at which point the spell detonated turning it into a fiery vortex. His attack was too powerful, trying to stop it head on wouldn’t have ended well for me so instead I simply redirected it. The explosion lit up the darkening world around us and I had to shield my eyes against it, meaning that I was momentarily blinded. I could only hope it left my enemies just as vulnerable. A hand grabbed me by the shoulder and, as if a dark sheet had been thrown over my eyes, the brightness began to fade. I turned to find Joe standing next to me; he lifted his finger to his lips, signalling me to keep quiet. Joe had hidden us under a veil, a shroud of magic that would keep us from being seen. He had vanished from sight the moment it was apparent that the Fallen were only interested in me. I nodded my head in agreement and slowly started to back away from flaming twister. I kept my focus on the spell until I was sure we were far enough away that we wouldn’t be noticed by Abaddon and his goons. The veil would keep has from being seen and to some extent from being heard, but if they could sense the magical energy coming from the spell then they would be able to home right in on us. I released my hold on the tornado and slowly it began to die down eventually leaving nothing but a gentle breeze and scorched earth. As we backed away I could make out the shapes of the three fallen angels searching for us, shouts muffled by the veil calling out for our capture. The shapes went running off into the distance, fading out completely from my veil covered field of vision.

We had just dodged a bullet. Neither of us would have survived that encounter if it had developed into a full out brawl. We lived to see another day and had learnt something of their plans, but it was only half the equation and an incomplete half at that. We knew what Abaddon was trying to do but just not the how or why and in this business, both were just as important. Despite the scheming of rival factions there was one constant, Ellie. Everything that is happening, all of it has her at its centre. It all revolves round her.

Hopefully Louise had found out something because one thing was clear, we were running out of time.

 


	21. Chapter 21

Night had truly fallen by the time we got back to Joe’s place. I made us take the scenic route to make sure no one followed us. We wasted little time getting into the house and behind the protection of the wards surrounding the building. Just as Joe was locking up I heard footsteps approaching us and from around the corner Louise appeared, her face carrying a weary expression. As soon as she saw us her posture became more relaxed and, as if by reflex, motioned towards me and wrapped her arms around me in a hug.

“I’m glad you’re both ok.” Louise said sounding relieved.

I returned the hug.

After a ten count, Louise drew away from me and punched me on the arm.

“Ow.” I complained.

“What took you guys so long?” She asked.

“We ran into a few acquaintances of Gabe’s.” Joe said.

“Acquaintances?” Louise said shooting me a confused look.

I filled Louise in on what had happened when we got back to London, about our conversation with Abaddon, as we made our way into the kitchen. Louise had set up shop on the central counter; hand written notes lay across its surface, seemingly organised into different piles. The scent of freshly brewed coffee drifted across my nose and suddenly all was right with the world. Louise immediately began to fill two mugs and passed them to me and Joe before pouring one for herself.

“What I want to know,” Joe said after taking a sip of coffee. “Is how did they find us?”

I drank from my own mug as thought on that for a second. “My guess is they found some of my blood at Lilith’s hideout. I had been bleeding pretty badly and frequently during my stay, it’s not too much of a stretch to believe they got their hands on some. Must have used it to create a tracking spell which lead them right to me. Or rather the last place I had been before stepping into the Nevernever.”

“Speaking of your trip to other worlds,” Louise interjected. “What happened with your Council?a Did they agree to help?”

Joe and I shot each other a look. “No, they didn’t.” I answered, releasing an involuntary sigh. “As far as the council is concerned we’re on our own.”

“Why? What happened? Don’t they realise how important this is?” Louise shot back. Her voice was laced with a frustration I was more than familiar with. It was a sensation that has become far more common place than it should when dealing with the members of the Council in recent times.

“The current situation with the Council is a problem for another time.” Joe said. “I’m more concerned about the fallen angels running around the city trying to open the Gates of Hell.”

Joe was right. Dealing with Marcus’ insanity was low on our list of priorities. Abaddon and his cronies wanted to open the Gates of Hell, but why? What could he hope to gain by unleashing chaos and destruction in the real world? After a little bit of something Louise called ‘googling’ on her phone, she was able to find that Abaddon was some what famous, or rather infamous. According to certain passages in various literature she found, it stated that apparently Abaddon was high up in the ranks of Hell’s legions, that he has lead the forces of the Underworld against the warriors of Heaven since his Fall. The mythology on the interweb clearly made him out to be an unearthly powerhouse, but just how much power did he actually have I wondered? I mean sure, those were some impressive fireballs he hurled around, but so far that was all I had seen. Unless of course, he was all about the power and so overlooked the subtle stuff. I mean if he had even looked for it I was certain that he would have been able to find Joe and me even under the veil, in fact any of them should have been able to sense us. Unless they were not that way inclined, magically speaking; or at least their hosts weren’t. You see regardless of what Lilith said about being in her true form, the Fallen can’t operate without a mortal vessel to possess, much like the ones trapped in the silver coins.

‘ _What silver coins?_ ’ I hear you say. Well I mentioned them only briefly earlier but hope you’re sitting comfortably now, because I have a story to tell.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, God sent his only son to Earth on work experience. While he was there, he got betrayed by one of his buddies called Judas. The story goes that Judas got paid thirty pieces of silver to stab God Junior in the back and this is where our story takes a dark and frightening twist. You see those thirty pieces of silver, they became cursed. More specifically, they became the new home for thirty Fallen Angles. Now, whoever touches one of those coins, becomes tainted by the Fallen Angel inside and if they actually choose to take up the coin, then stand back, because that Fallen Angel is getting unleashed. Collectively, the Fallen Angels are known as the Order of the Blackened Denarius, named after the silver Denarii that Judas was paid. Each Denarian is a monster, literally; they can shift from their mortal vessels form to that of a pure nightmare in the blink of an eye. And even worse, they’re smart, devious and old, like dawn of creation old. Each one has been around since the dawn of time, that’s thousands upon thousands of years of knowledge, experience and power. And all that could be yours to use for the lowly, cost of your soul. But all of that power relied on a human taking up the coin, without that, the coin was just a coin.

Maybe what Lilith meant was that her and Abaddon’s crew didn’t need to trick or entice anyone into taking up a coin, they could just take over someone without permission. Now that was a scary thought.

But I was getting side tracked. My point being is that if Abaddon and Co. are nothing more than brutes it would explain their rather straight forward thinking, but then why go for something so fancy like trying to unlock the Gates of Hell? There are far easier ways to destroy all life as we know it. But that wasn’t the end of it. Abaddon said that opening the Gates would lead him to his goal. So his goal is to go to Hell and do what? Melt some marshmallows? Why would one of the Fallen want to get into Hell and want it so badly that he was willing to destroy everything to get there? Surely being one of Hell’s enforcers should give him an all access pass. None of this made any sense. Evidently there was still more information that we needed to find, like how Lilith’s gang figured into all of this. I mean it’s clear that there is no love lost between the two groups. Could Lilith be trying to stop Abaddon from breaking the seal? That didn’t add up. Lilith seemed resentful but practical, if she really wanted to stop his plans, she would have just killed Ellie and be done with it. No, she was keeping Ellie alive which meant that Lilith had plans of her own, plans that involved Ellie somehow. Again we didn’t have all the facts but the ones we did have all pointed to the same thing, Ellie.

“Whatever Abaddon’s plan is,” I said. “He needs Ellie. Just like Lilith does. It’s all revolving around her.”

“That’s what doesn’t make sense.” Joe commented. “How does Ellie fit into any of this?”

“Well to find out that we firstly need to know more about her.” I turned to Louise. “How is Ellie doing?”

“I went up to check on her a couple of times but she was sleeping. She did wake up once, I think she must have been having a nightmare or something but I was able to get her to go back to sleep. I also got her a change of clothes. I keep some spare in my car and we’re roughly the same size. Thought she’d appreciate having something fresh to wear.”

“I’m sure she would. Have you had any luck finding any information about her?” I asked.

“Some, given the miracle worker that I am.” She said. She set her coffee down on the counter and picked up a note pad. I could see her scribbles all over the page and it made no sense to me. Louise has this form of shorthand that looked like a cross between an ancient forgotten language and musical notes. She had a journalist friend teach her a few years back when she thought there was someone passing out information from her station. Turned out Louise was right but that was a whole other story.

“If I had been able to go to the station I could have done this a lot quicker and probably would have found out a great deal more.” She said shooting me a pointed stare.

“Just tell us what you do have.” I responded ignoring it.

“Well I didn’t have a lot to go off other than her name and the university she attended, so I gave them a call and they where surprisingly helpful. From the information they gave me I was able to find her nation insurance number, her address, her parents names…”

“Ok,” I interrupted. “You have proven your point, you’re awesome, now what did you find.”

“Damn straight I’m awesome.” Louise said proud, flashing me a playful wink. “From what I have been able to find, it reads like your generic abandoned baby story. Left on the doorstep of Temple Church when she was only 4 months old, no note or anything to explain who left her there or why. She was taken in by one of the nuns, a Dorothy Fitzpatrick, who reported the matter to the police. From the reports they mentioned getting child services involved, but Dorothy spoke up about taking responsibility for the baby, claimed it was a sign from God.”

“Come again?” I said.

“She made a statement saying that her and her husband had been trying for a baby for the previous couple of years but with no luck, she said she was starting to lose faith.”

“So of course, a baby showing up out of the blue would be considered God’s work. I get it.” I commented.

“Right. So in the twenty seven years that followed it’s all pretty quiet, at least from what I’ve been able to find out. Ellie has no criminal record and on the outside seems pretty clean.”

I looked over at Joe who was quietly drinking his coffee but I could see on his face there was a thought bubbling to life.

“Joe,” I said to grab his attention. “What are you thinking?”

He set his coffee down and leaned forward against the counter. “What do we know about her adoptive parents?”

Louise picked a different notepad up off the counter and began to read through it. “Again this is only a brief overview. Dorothy and Brian Fitzpatrick, originally from Dublin, Ireland, relocated to London in eighty two. Brian worked as the neighbourhood’s mechanic while Dorothy helped out at the church before becoming a nun.”

“So for all intense and purposes they are one hundred percent vanilla.” I said.

“It looks that way.” Louise answered. “Like Ellie, they are completely clean.”

“From what you have been able ascertain so far?” Joe noted.

“Yes.” She replied.

Joe’s mind was working on something, that much was clear, but whatever it was he was playing it close to the chest. Just then the house phone began to ring, the sound echoing down the hallway to us in the kitchen.

“That might be for me.” Louise said. “I hope you don’t mind Joe but I gave out your number as a way for people to contact me while I was watching over Ellie.”

“That’s fine Louise.” Joe said nodding his head.

Lou nodded back and walked off to answer the ringing phone. I watched her as she left and waited until she was out for sight before turning my attention to Joe.

“Ok Joe out with it.” I said.

“Out with what?” He replied.

“Whatever idea that’s floating around in your head. I know that look. You’ve been holding onto a thought since Lou started telling us about Ellie’s background.”

Joe smiled and nodded his head. “I forget that you can be quite perceptive at times.”

“What can I say? I had a good teacher.” I said as my own smile started to form.

“There’s something I can’t quite put my finger on.” He said. “It might just be me being cynical, but I have never come across a story of a child appearing out of nowhere that didn’t lead to something bad.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning that Ellie’s origins are still shrouded in mystery and until we can understand what lead to her being left on the church’s doorstep, we are still no closer to solving our Fallen Angel problem.”

“Joe what are you talking about?” I answered back. “How many stories like this have you heard?”

“Enough to be suspicious. A child is always left somewhere for a reason. That’s what we need to find out.”

Joe had a point. Finding out that Ellie was adopted still didn’t really explain why there were Fallen Angels after her. If anything its left us with more questions. Before my mind had time to spiral out of control with theories, Louise came hurrying back into the kitchen.

“That was the hospital,” She said. “Reggie is finally awake. The doctors have said we can question him.”

“Good news. Hopefully he can fill in some of the gaps.” I said. “Joe, can you stay here and look after Ellie?”

“Of course.” Joe agreed. “It will give me the opportunity to get a hold of some of my contacts.”

I eyed him sceptically but he didn’t offer any further explanations. That worried me. Most of Joe’s ‘contacts’ were spirits from the Nevernever and they very rarely gave out information for free. It also made me wonder what he was hoping to find. Most beings from the Nevernever are immortal, or pretty damn close to it, so have been around the proverbial block a few times; but because they’ve been around so long it also meant their grasp on time could be somewhat unreliable. Joe was a natural at conjuration, summoning things, so I had no reservations that he’d be able to do it. I was just worried about _what_ he would try to summon.

“Ok then.” I said. “We’ll call you if anything comes up, otherwise we’ll meet you back here when we’re done.”

We all agreed and then Louise and I left for the hospital.

 


	22. Chapter 22

We headed back to Whitechapel, to the Royal London Hospital in Louise’s car, an old Ford Focus. It’s about ten years old and Louise always insists on driving it whenever we go somewhere together, even in a professional setting. She claims it’s because she likes to drive it but I’ve always had the sneaky suspicion it’s because she’s worried I’ll break all the fancy electrical toys in her work car. It’s only happened the once and that wasn’t my fault. I still maintain that a black cat should know better than to jump onto the hood of a car during an overnight stakeout. We Wizards can be a jumpy bunch at times.

Traffic wasn’t too bad seeing as how late it was, but Louise also knew the roads well and was able to get us around the jams and road works with ease. Part of our route took us along the embankment pier; I looked out the window and saw the lights reflecting off the river and it was almost peaceful. The way the street lights glimmered along the water’s surface, a wavy reflection of the world around it, acted as a constant reminder that there was still beauty in the world, that not everything could be corrupted by the darkness. Sure you can throw a stone in and it might break the surface, distort the picture, but sooner or later the ripples will fade and the picture will be whole once more.

I lost track of how long I had been staring out the window. Ten minutes? Twenty? With all the rushing about and fighting it can be easy to forget that sometimes the best thing is to just stop and look around you from time to time; to remind yourself of why you fight, why you rush around.

“Gabe?”

I blinked a couple of times and turned my head to see Louise looking at me. I nearly began to freak out about her not watching the road when I realised that the car was stopped at a set of lights.

“Sorry.” I said. “I was lost in thought.”

“Any good ones?” She asked.

“Just admiring the view.”

She gave me a small smile, showing off the dimples in her cheeks, but it was quickly replaced by a worried expression.

“What’s wrong?” I asked her.

Louise shook her head. “I don’t know what I’m doing.” She said.

“What do you mean?”

“Angels, amphibious henchmen, magic and mysterious redheads?” The lights turned green and Louise drove off while continuing to explain. “I am in so far over my head that I can’t even remember what it felt like to be above water.” She huffed out a sigh. “How am I supposed to explain any of this to my superiors? I had to lie to Trent earlier about why I wasn’t at the station. He pretty much demanded that I bring him in on what I was doing.”

Louise continued to face forward, to focus on the roads ahead of us, but I could see it on her face that she wasn’t telling me everything.

“Lou I think it’s safe to say that I know you better than anybody. And it’s for that reason I can tell this has nothing to do with lying to Trent or figuring out how to spin this to your superiors. What’s really going on?”

Things were silent for a moment while Louise tried to find a way to explain her thoughts.

“I feel helpless.” She said breaking the stillness. “With everything you’ve been through these past few days, you shouldn’t have to face these things alone, you should have someone who can watch your back.” Her voice began to wobble, as if she was fighting back against a tidal wave of emotion desperate to break down the floodgates. “I just don’t know how I can help.”

It broke my heart to see Louise like that, so conflicted. She is a strong person, strongest I know, but to see her faith shaken like that? I would rather go another ten rounds in Morax’s torture dungeon than to see her so torn up inside. Louise joined the police because she wanted to help people, it was all she ever cared about growing up; no matter how large or small the gesture, knowing that she did all she could to help is what made it all worthwhile. But now Louise was coming up against things that were unknown to her, things that didn’t have any natural explanation to them and to her credit, she did her best to keep it together. But people fear the unknown, fear what they can’t understand. Louise was afraid. It went against everything Louise stands for not to help someone but she didn’t know how to help me. It was an unending paradox for her.

As she went to change gear I placed my hand on top of hers.

“Lou you already do help me, more than you know.” Louise started to look at me out of the corner of her eyes. “When they were torturing me, trying to break my mind, there was one thought that got be through it; you.”

“What are talking about?” Louise asked.

“You Louise, you give me the strength to keep fighting. Knowing how much you believe in me, how much faith you have in me, gives me the courage to stand up to anything. You help me in a thousand ways every single day, so just because you’re not on the front lines it doesn’t mean that you’re not important. For me you’re the most important one there is.”

She squeezed my fingers and I saw a single tear run down her cheek.

We rode the rest of the way to the hospital in silence. We had said everything that needed saying and we both knew going too far into that conversation would distract us from the task at hand. We got parked up outside the hospital and went inside. Louise spoke to a woman at the front desk, a small plump lady with grey hair and looked to be in her late fifties. I meanwhile hung back a little, making sure I wasn’t close enough to disrupt or break any of their computers. Louise flash her badge at the woman and she frowned but then started to check something on her monitor. More words were exchanged and then Louise made her way back to me.

“Ok I’ve got us access to his room.” She said. “But they won’t let us stay long.”

“Am I going to cause any problems getting there?” I asked.

“No.” She answered. “I told them you had a metal plate in your head that can sometimes cause problems with electrical equipment. She gave me directions to get us there safely.”

I raised an eyebrow at her. “You didn’t really tell her that did you?”

Louise flashed me a cheeky smile in reply and set off down the corridor.

“Louise?” I called out after her. “Seriously, what did you tell her?”

 

We made our way through the building towards Reggie’s room. I’ve never liked how complicated it can get trying to navigate your way around hospitals. It’s like they are purposely designed to make sure you get lost. Not everything is signposted right away, so you have to figure out which direction you need to be going and hope for the best. They have information desks scattered about but they are only useful if you happen to stumble across them in the first place. You’d be better off hiring a Sherpa to guide you than trying to remember how many rights or lefts you need to take.

Thankfully though I had my very own guide to help me as Louise strode confidently through the corridors. She had been here many times over the course of her career, speaking to victims of beatings or robberies or what have you, so she knew the layout well enough to get us were we needed to go. The doctors had set Reggie up with a room all to himself. It was standard practice for victims of an assault; it’s an easy way for them to keep the individual relatively safe and secure. A uniformed officer stood by the door to Reggie’s room, he saw us approaching and produced what looked like a clipboard.

“Ma’am.” The officer greeted Louise. I only vaguely recognised the man as someone from Louise’s station. There were only a few people there that I actually knew by name and even then that’s only because I sometimes tagged along to the after work pub gathering.

“PC Simons.” Louise responded. “This is Gabriel Crane, he’s assisting me with this investigation.”

“Of course Ma’am. If you could please sign yourself in sir.”

Simons handed me the clipboard and a pen, I signed and printed my name on the form and gave it back to him.

“Has he said anything to you yet?” Louise asked.

“Not a word Ma’am. He just stays silent and looks at me as if I’m going to try and steal his liver the first chance I get.”

I huffed out a laugh. “Yeah that sounds like Reggie. Don’t take it personally, he’s like that with everyone he doesn’t know.”

“Spoken from experience sir?” Simons commented.

“Something like that.”

“Well it’s just as well I brought you along.” Louise said. “Time for you to introduce me.”

She nodded her thanks to Simons who opened the door for us, we walked into Reggie’s room and he closed it again. The quiet whirring of machinery reverberated next to the bed, heart rate monitors and other such instruments used for recording ones wellbeing. Reggie laid sitting up on the bed; his right arm and left leg were in casts, he had bandages wrapped around his torso and a patch over this right eye.

“They really did a number on him.” Louise whispered to me.

“Yeah but me ‘earing still bloody works.” Reggie croaked out in complaint. “Can’t you bleedin’ Bobbies leave me to sleep in peace?”

Louise looked at me, one eyebrow raised. I smiled.

“Now is that anyway to greet the guy who saved your life.” I said as we both moved closer to the bed.

Reggie’s head moved slightly to give his working eye a better view of us.

“Crane? How’d ya get in ‘ere?”

“What can I say, I’m well connected.” I said shooting Louise a quick wink. She rolled her eyes. “How you holding up?”

He huffed out a laugh. “If it weren’t for the really good drugs they got me on I’d beat ya arse for asking such a stupid bloody question.”

“Glad to see you’re sunny disposition is still intact.” I said.

Reggie started to laugh but it clearly caused him great discomfort. “Don’t make me laugh. Ya wouldn’t wanna kill me after going to all that trouble to get me ‘ere.”

“Reggie,” Louise stepped in. “I’m gonna have to ask you some questions are you feeling up to that?”

He eyed Louise briefly before looking back at me. “This ya police bird?” He asked.

“Police bird?” Louise repeated in shock as she turned to look at me with eyebrows raised.

“Er, Reggie,” I said attempting to move the conversation along and away from potential bodily harm. “This is DCI Louise Wheeler of the Met police. We need to talk to you about what happened. What do you remember?”

Reggie’s good eye darted back between Louise and me nervously. “Well before I say anything I want it noted that I run a perfectly legitimate business enterprise and…”

“Focus Reggie.” I interrupted. “She’s not here about your lock up. As far as the police are concerned you’re the victim here so stop talking about your ‘ _business_ ’,” I said doing the air quote gesture with my hands. “Before you say something that will make them treat you like a suspect instead.”

“Handing out legal advice now?” Louise commented, a tone of amusement hanging on her words.

“Just trying to keep him on top topic. He’ll talk your ear off if he thinks you’ll listen. Now Reggie,” I said turning my attention back to the man lying on the hospital bed. “What can you tell us about the people who attacked you? What happened?”

He gave me a quick nod, offering to take my advice about staying on point. “Well these two fellas came into me shop, just as I was talking to you over the phone.”

“When you told me to swing by your place in an hour.” I noted.

“Yeah. Well when I put the phone down and greeted them…”

“What did they look like?” Louise interrupted.

“One were old, real old and shabby lookin’, had long grey hair and beard. The other was younger, looked like hired muscle, gave off a real thug vibe and he was covered in tats. Kinda reminded me of me-self twenty years younger. You know I was quite the ladies magnet, there was this one time…”

“Reggie?” I said trying to get him back on topic.

“Right, right. Anyways they came into me shop and started lookin’ at the stock, like they were lookin’ for something specific. So I did what any good salesman should do and asked if they needed any help. Well the younger one just looked at me like I was a steak dinner, set me right on edge it did.”

“What about the other guy? The older one?” I asked.

“Well he creeps up behind me and scares the living shi…” Reggie looks at Louise and hesitates. “…stuff out of me.”

“Come on Reggie,” I told him. “Stop trying to sugar-coat it for the pretty lady, just tell us everything that happened.”

“Excuse me for trying to be a proper gent.” He said sulking. “So he creeps up behind me and tells me that he’s looking for something.”

“What was he looking for?” Louise asked.

“That’s…er…” Reggie hesitated again. “…not really important, but I tell him I don’t have what he’s lookin’ for and that I can’t help him. Next thing I know the other fella’s startin’ to wreak the place yelling at me to give them what they want. They were destroying my livelihood so I caved, I showed ‘em where I kept the bloody things and then the next thing I know they both started going for me. I gave as good as I got mind you, managed to yank out some of the old guys hair but the other guy clocked me on the back of me head. The rest is a bit wobbly after that.”

That pretty much matched up with what I saw when I got there but Reggie was keeping something from us.

“What did they ask you for Reggie?” I asked him.

He started to hesitate again. “T…that’s not what’s important ‘ere.” He stammered. He was starting to squirm in his bed, as if he was wishing it would suddenly envelope him. “Just remember, I’m the victim ‘ere.”

“Reggie I’m gonna ask you one last time,” I said, my temper starting to show in my tone and the heart monitor let out a shriek. “What were they looking for?”

He hesitated again, staring at the hospital equipment. “Thorn manacles.” He mumbled.

“I’m sorry what?”

“Thorn manacles.” He mumbled again.

I stood over Reggie, making sure to look down at him in my best intimidating manner. “Reggie you’re really starting to test my patience here. What were they…”

“ _Thorn manacles alright!_ ” he cried. “They wanted bloody thorn manacles.”

I looked at him in shock while my brain tried to process his statement. I stumbled back a few steps and tried to speak twice but both times my words failed me.

“Gabe?” Louise said “What is he talking about?”

I looked at Louise for a moment and then back at Reggie. “Oh you stupid bastard.” I finally said.

“Listen Crane,” Reggie said, almost pleading. “It’s not as bad as it…”

“How many?” I interrupted him.

He looked at me confused.

“How many manacles did they get?” I said only barely containing my anger.

The room was silent for a moment. “…Twenty.” Reggie said with a cough. “They got away with twenty manacles.”

“Why?” I asked him, my tone cold and hard. “Why would you even have them?”

“I…I…I was tryin’ to keep ‘em out of circulation. I mean I know me reputation ain’t exactly spotless but I figured better me havin’ them than the real unsavoury types.”

“You mean to tell me that you have been stockpiling thorn manacles?” Reggie gave me a nervous shrug. “Reggie you complete wanker. Do you realise what would have happened to you if the Council found those? But then I guess we don’t have to worry about that considering the ‘ _real unsavoury types_ ’ you were trying to keep them from, now have them.”

“Gabe,” Louise said stepping into between Reggie and me. “I need you to calm down.” She looked over at the one of the machines. I followed her gaze to see the device used for monitoring Reggie’s heart rate; the screen was going all fuzzy like an old style television, the ones where you had to manually tune into the channels. Louise was right, I needed to get my emotions in check and reign in my frustrations. If that machine was to go out it would trigger an alarm which would mean hospital staff running in and demanding that we left while they checked on Reggie.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

“So explain to me what you guys are talking about?” Louise asked.

“These manacles are used to help restrain people like me and prevent us from using our magic. Their barbaric and sadistic. The Council destroys any they can get their hands on so they can’t be used against us. That is unless someone starts to stash them away for a rainy day.” I aimed those last words at Reggie and I saw him physically flinch.

“Pointing fingers isn’t going to solve anything.” Louise said. “We need to figure out why they needed them.”

“To restrain someone who can wield magic.” I answered.

Louise took me by the arm and led me slightly away from Reggie’s bed. “Right and their target was Ellie. So what can she do?” She uttered in a hushed tone, clearly not wanting Reggie to be privy to this part of the conversation.

“I’ve never seen the manacles react the way they did to her.” I mirrored her tone.

“So what does that mean?” Louise asked. Her tone was that of a teacher patiently trying to help move a train of thought along.

“The manacles react when you try to draw in your will, to build up magic for a spell. For them to behave the way they did there had to have been a constant flow of energy running through Ellie, a continual build-up of magic. But that doesn’t make sense, a mortal Wizard or even the occasional dabbler should only be calling upon magic when they need it otherwise they would collapse, their bodies wouldn’t be able to take that much power circling through them. The only beings I know that can channel that much constant power is…” my sentence trailed off as some of the puzzle pieces began to fit together. “She’s not human.” I mumbled.

“Gabe what is it?” Louise asked.

“We need to get back to Joe’s place.” I turned my attention back to Reggie. “We are going to finish this conversation another time.”

Reggie continued to squirm and went to say something but I turned and left the room. I didn’t have time to listen to anymore of his excuses, not when Joe could possibly be in danger.

 


	23. Chapter 23

We marched through the hospital and back to the car in a fraction to the time it took us to get to Reggie’s room. Once in the car I convinced Louise to use her siren to help get us through the traffic; all in all we made it back in twenty minutes. Louise had barely stopped the car when I leaped out and raced up the steps to Joe’s front door and before I even touched the handle, the door swung open and Ellie was standing there all flustered, a look of panic in her eyes.

“Ellie?” I said shocked.

“Don’t ask me how but I knew you were coming.” She said. “You have to come quick, your friend is in trouble. I couldn’t get to him, please help.”

And just like that, any and all doubts I had in my mind about Ellie vanished as my thoughts focused solely on Joe. From inside the house I could hear what sounded like furniture being overturned and a very distant howl that I knew didn’t belong in the mortal world. I rushed in and made my way past Ellie, down the hallway towards the living room. As I approached the room I could feel the power resonating from behind the closed door. I went to open it but the door wouldn’t budge, as if there was a great pressure on the other side forcing it to stay shut. I tried barging it with my shoulder a couple of times and kicking it open but with no success.

“Ellie what happened?” I asked turning from the door to face her. Louise came running down the hallway to join us.

“I don’t know.” She said in near panic. “I woke up hearing these really strange voices coming from down stairs. They sounded…wrong, like they shouldn’t have been here. I followed the voices down here and found your friend talking with this…this thing and then it saw me and starting going crazy. Your friend shouted something and the next thing I know the door was slamming shut. I don’t know long he’s been in there, please you have to help him.”

She was right I needed to help Joe but I didn’t have a clue what he was in there with. Whatever suspicions I had about Ellie would have to wait. Ellie said that Joe had shouted something and the door slammed shut; it could have been a simple air evocation but that wouldn’t explain how he was keeping it shut. If I’m right he would be concentrating more on trying to contain the out of control _thing_ than keeping the door sealed. I placed my hands on the door and focused my senses, trying to feel for the magic holding the door in place. From what I could tell it was a trap of some sort, carved into the door frame, it spread across the door and formed a barrier that absorbed impact damage. It was genius. I knew Joe was crafty but this was something else. Ok so I needed to find a way to bring the barrier down and quickly. I racked my brain for an idea but nothing sprang forward and in a fit of frustration I pounded my fists against the door.

And it opened ever so slightly.

“Ellie, did you hear anything impact this door after Joe locked you out?” I asked her, new thoughts racing through my mind.

“Y…yes.” She replied. “There was heavy banging on the door but that died down after a while.”

That was it. The barrier was constructed to absorb impact damage but in order to continue to do that it needed to draw from a power source and the thing about power sources is they are never infinite. The harder you hit the barrier the more power it needed to draw upon to keep it going; after a while it would run out of power and dissolve. The fact that I managed to open the door, even if it was only slightly, meant that the barrier was starting to waiver. All I needed to do was hit it hard enough. My mind treated me to memories of a fight I had with a Red Court vampire outside my flat and how it ended with a hole in the wall and a demolished car.

“Oh this is going to hurt.” I said to myself before turning to face Louise and Ellie. “I need you two to clear the hallway.”

“Gabe what are you doing?” Louise asked sceptically.

“I need a clear run at the door.” I told her as we all moved into the seating area by the stairs.

“Clear run? What are y…”

Before Louise could finish her sentence I set off at a sprint down the hallway. I gathered in my will and stretched my right arm out behind me shouting “ _Vilya, Alakien!_ ”

When I had last used this spell I had been in possession of my eskrima which allowed me to focus the blast into a more effective propellant. But this time I didn’t have my weapon and as a result the spell turned the hallway into a wind tunnel, pushing me forward and sending me tumbling through the air. I’ll admit from the outside it must have looked very unprofessional, with arms and legs flailing in an uncontrolled forward momentum of arse over teakettle. Well that’s exactly how it felt on the inside and then my spell faltered I landed in an ungraceful heap on the floor to really round off the look.

Ellie and Louise came running over, one kneeling either side of me to help me to my feet.

“That didn’t look like it was very effective.” Louise commented sarcastically but I did detect a slight note of concern in her voice.

“What are you talking about?” I replied with a groan of pain. “I effectively demonstrated how not to fly through the air.” I got back onto my feet and straightened up only to feel a sharp pain in my abdomen.

“Oh my god,” Ellie gasped. “Gabe you’re bleeding.”

I looked down to find fresh blood starting to seep through my shirt. One of my wounds, courtesy of Morax, had reopened as a result of my unceremonious landing.

“Gabe you need to stop.” Louise said. “You can’t keep this up. There has to be another way to get that door down?”

“Save for driving a train straight through the house? Lou I’m open to suggestions but our options are limited. There’s nothing else here that can generate that kinda force. I’m the only one who can.”

She bit her lip trying to think of something to argue back with but she knew I was right. Instead of saying anything Louise simply nodded her head in agreement and stepped to one side. Taking her cue, Ellie followed suit and moved to join Louise. I set my sights on the door at the far end of the hallway, pushing all other thoughts from my mind. The reason why my spell went wrong the first time was because I wasn’t focused enough, I hadn’t taken the time to centre myself first and calm my emotions. When you’re in a fight emotions are a great source of power and they can really give your magic the clout you need to get the job done. But this wasn’t a fight. In this situation my emotions were a liability. Because I didn’t focus properly, because I let my emotions lead me, my spell had too much power and not enough control and without my eskrima to help channel my power, it was a disaster waiting to happen. I needed to let go of my fear, my anger, my pain and my frustration; to forget everything else going on around me and focus on nothing except my magic and my target.

I closed my eyes and took two deep breaths. When I opened them again I was clear on what needed doing. I set off in a sprint and once again drew in my will. The pain from my abdomen sent sparks of heavy discomfort to my brain but I shut it out as I continued to concentrate on the spell. Once I was half way I held out my right arm behind me, cupping my hand and once again yelled “ _Vilya, Alakien!_ ”

A column of air spiralled out behind me that lifted me off my feet and into the air. I held onto the spell, using it to increase my velocity. My current trajectory would have me impacting the door just above its centre which wasn’t ideal. If this worked, hitting the door at its centre would break it in half and both halves would snap shut crushing me between them. In order to survive this I would need to impact the door a little higher. And preferably not head first. With less an a meter to go I cut the power to the spell and fed my will into the shield rings all whilst tucking myself into a forward roll. I hit feet first on its upper half, making sure to bend legs to help spread the force of the impact mostly through my shield and not my bones. I could feel the door starting to give as my momentum pressed into to it but I could sense it was fading fast and once it was gone there would be nothing stopping me from falling harshly to the ground. A split second before my fears became the reality I felt the magic holding the trap in place snap. With the spell now out of juice there was nothing keeping the door closed.

Or on its hinges.

I heard the wood of the frame splinter first as the hinges were ripped free. I continued to ride the momentum through, following the door as it dropped to the ground and only narrowly avoiding smacking my head against the door frame. I landed in a crouch on top of the fallen door and I had to admit it looked ten times cooler than my previous attempt. All of my thoughts came rushing back to me, my abdomen was on fire as the pain began to spread to the surrounding areas. I pressed down with my left hand to try and stop the blood flow but the damage had already been done. I looked around the room to find it in complete disarray; the sofas had been smashed into kindling, the splinters of the coffee table were scattered all over the room, broken glass littered the ground as if the glass from the windows had been blown inwards and standing in the centre of it all was Joe and something that looked…wrong. From a quick glance it looked like a Knight Templar straight out of the Crusades; a suit of chain-mail armour and a breastplate along with gauntlets and greaves, all brandishing the red cross on white paint. But when you looked closer you could see that the armour was heavily rusted in places and the paint job was cracked and flaking. But it was the thing’s face that really stood out. Decaying flesh covered only half of its face, the rest was rotting muscle and bone. It had no eyes yet it was clearly glaring at Joe with the empty black voids where they should have been. I won’t lie, if I was a lesser man I would have been demanding a fresh pair of boxers.

All of its attention was on Joe who was down on one knee with his arms out stretched as if he was holding up an invisible wall and I knew that was exactly what he was doing; he was using everything he had to keep the magic circle around the Templar in place. I had seen Joe summon many things over the years that I’ve known him, spirits, demons and the like, but I had never seen him struggle to contain one before. Whatever he had called up it was old and powerful. Joe hadn’t acknowledged my enthusiastic entrance unsurprisingly, what with his concentration being used on the creature he had summoned and all. Joe needed help and I was the only one who could but I was lost for ideas; I was losing blood, granted not at an alarming rate but after a while it all adds up so whatever I was going do I had to do it now. Joe was using everything he had to keep the thing at bay but he’d need a little more to help banish it.

Cue crazy idea.

There is a bond between master and apprentice that goes beyond titles and training. Not to sound too wanky but it comes from our magic; after years of practice and bonding, auras and energies begin to sync in a profound experience of life. Now yes, each individual’s aura is and always will be unique, what happens doesn’t change that, it only expands it. And even though it has been years since I was Joe’s apprentice, we still shared that bond and I was betting everything on it still being strong.

I walked over to Joe, placed my right hand on his shoulder and raised my left hand towards the Templar. My abdomen began to complain about the sudden exposure but that wasn’t important. What was important was something that couldn’t be seen, only felt. As I placed my hand on Joe’s shoulder our auras crossed over and slowly began to merge, becoming one. There was a lot of magic hanging in the air, magic that I could tap into. I closed my eyes and began to clear my mind, to focus on nothing expect for one spell. I reached out with my senses, pushing it towards the gathering mass of energy in the room and tried to connect with it. It started to pool around me and once I thought I had enough I drew it towards me as I whispered “ _Duel’an_.”

The wild power in the room surged towards me, coming in through my outstretched palm, the side of the body that draws in magic; once I had the energy stored up I began to feed it through my right hand, the side the expels magic, and down into Joe. He felt it almost at once as his body began to respond to the extra juice I was feeding him.

“Whatever you’re going to do Joe,” I said through gritted teeth. “You better do it fast.”

Joe straightened his spine and began to slowly rise to his feet. “It is time for you to leave.” He bellowed. “You are no longer welcome here Kadesh.” The Templar staggered as he used the thing’s Name and through Joe I felt the resistance against the magic circle begin to crack. “Be gone! Be gone! I command now thrice, be gone you twisted bastard!”

Kadesh howled in rage as his connection to our world was severed. Slowly bits of it began to melt away into the ground and over the seconds more and more fell, dissolving into ectoplasm until there was nothing left. As the last drop fell, which of course had to be the thing’s rotting face (creepy), the pressure against the circle vanished. Joe and I collapsed to the floor, both breathing heavily. Once the coast was clear Louise and Ellie came rushing into the room, Louise kneeing down by me and Ellie by Joe. Slowly the pair of us managed to sit up, I was still trying to catch my breath and it seemed that Joe was having similar issues.

“Joe,” I panted. “What the blood hell…was that all about?”

“It was…a necessary evil.” He replied.

“How was that…necessary?” I asked.

“Because…I know what Ellie is.”

 


	24. Chapter 24

“What do you mean you know what Ellie i…agk!”

“Hold still you big baby.” Louise said scolding me as she cleaned my wound. “If you didn’t do such crazy things I wouldn’t need to patch you up again.”

We had moved from what was left of the living room into the kitchen. I was sat on a stool next to the central table while Louise was rubbing what felt like acid against my reopened injury, Joe began to fix everyone coffee and Ellie just stood in the corner quietly, her arms folded across her chest hugging herself. She had changed into the clothes that Louise had given to her, a pair of black lose fitting denim jeans and a white long sleeved top that seemed to cling in all the right places to attract the wondering eye. I couldn’t tell if I liked it because I knew it belonged to Louise or because of how it looked on Ellie. Ok down libido, time to concentrate on something else.

I noticed that Ellie had lost a bit of colour from her cheeks the moment Joe had said he knew _what_ Ellie was. She had been abandoned when she was only a baby and even though she was adopted by a loving couple who I have no doubt treated her like their own, there would have always been questions burning at the back of her mind. Where did she come from? Who were her real parents? Why did they abandon her? And no matter how much she would have tried to ignore them, they would never truly go away. And then after all these years of wondering there is someone in front of you saying they know what you are. Not _who_ , but _what_. There must have been so many things running through her mind and I would have only been able to guess at a quarter of them. I came to the realisation that Ellie may not be human but I had to admit that I hadn’t even considered what effect it would have on her if I had vocalised my suspicions. My only thought was of Joe and how he may have been in danger, but seeing her like this made me question those instincts. It was clear to see that Ellie was more frightened than anyone about this situation and I couldn’t say that I blamed her. Even though the truth might crush her, we still needed to know.

Joe passed around mugs of coffee, Louise paused from patching me up to take a gulp, he left mine on the counter for when Louise was done and went to hand the final mug to Ellie.

“Ellie?” Joe said to get her attention. There was a brief delay but slowly Ellie turned to face him as he held out the mug for her. She gave Joe a half smile filled with sadness but nodded her thanks as she accepted the mug.

“Part of me wishes I didn’t have to ask this.” I said casting Ellie a quick glance. “But we need to know what that Kadesh was and what he told you Joe?”

Joe sighed and put his coffee down on the counter. “Kadesh is…or was, a part of the Knights Templar. You see after the Order came to England it became very strong and expanded and as such they needed an official base of operations. So by the late twelfth century they constructed their first headquarters, and they called it The Temple.”

“You’re talking about Temple Church aren’t you?” I asked.

Joe nodded his head. “Yes I am. When Louise mentioned it earlier it made me remember something. The Order’s power and influence during the time was well documented but even then the growth and expansion they had here was quick, far too quick for it to be natural progression. There were tales of one Templar, who was not happy with their current pace, securing other means of spreading their influence. Now I don’t know what his real name was when he was alive but I know of the entity that he became. It has left its mark all across history, anyone who had a sudden rise to power only for it end very tragically. Hitler is one example.”

“Wait.” Louise interrupt. “You’re telling us that the thing that tore up your living room was responsible for some of history’s greatest mass murders?”

“You could say that yes.” Joe replied. “Kadesh has been the source of countless atrocities but it has always been drawn back to Temple Church because that is where it was essentially born or created. As Gabe knows, summoning is a specialty of mine so it wasn’t too hard for me to find an entity attached to that church who has been around for a very long time.”

“So you summoned Kadesh,” I said following the logic trail. “Because something that is centuries old would possibly remember a baby being left on the doorstep of a church.”

Joe nodded his head and the room fell silent. I could feel Ellie’s frightened eyes on me and all it made me want to do was just take her in my arms and tell her everything would be ok. But I couldn’t, not with the new suspicions in the air. Looking back on events it was clear to me now that there was something drawing me to her, something subtle but powerful and when you add that to the fact that she might not be human, falling under such a sway could prove deadly. But again that was my training talking and it didn’t add up to what I saw when I looked at Ellie. Granted it could be argued that my judgement was impaired because of whatever Ellie was doing, but my gut was telling me that she didn’t even know what was happening let alone knew that she was projecting mental commands.

“So I guess that brings us to the elephant in the room.” Louise said breaking the silence. She stepped away from having finished patching me up and I put on a fresh tee-shirt that Joe had given me. “What did you find out?”

Joe leaned back against the counter opposite the central bench. “Kadesh did remember a child being left at the church although it was very hazy on the when.” Ellie was now starting to pay attention and was almost eagerly waiting for Joe to continue. “At first Kadesh also referred to Ellie as the half-blood but I was eventually able to get it to elaborate.” Joe paused and took a deep breath, like he was hesitant to repeat the conversation. “Ellie is a Nephilim.”

An air of confusion filled the kitchen. Louise looked to me for an explanation but I had nothing. If anything I was just as confused as she was but Ellie took in a sharp breath and looked as if she was about to faint.

“For the sake of argument Joe,” I said “Let’s pretend that I didn’t go to Sunday school when I was younger. At all.”

Joe sighed. “A Nephilim is the offspring of angels and demons and are incredibly rare. They take traits from either side and are stronger than both. The last mention of the Nephilim on record speculated that there were four of them. And they each rode a horse.”

“Four on horses?” I said as I thought on that for a moment. Joe waited patiently for my mental cogs to catch up and when they did I felt my eyes widen in shock. “Holy shit.” I swore. “The Four Horsemen? You’re telling us that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were real and they were these Nephilim?”

Joe nodded his head again. I looked over at Ellie and she had gone pale, sickly pale, like she could throw up at any second. I didn’t know what to say to her or if there even was anything I could say. There are bombshells and then there was this.

“Can someone please explain what mythological horsemen have to do with our current situation?” Louise asked.

Joe was about to speak but before he could say anything Ellie broke her silence. “It was said that millennia ago, demons rose up and clashed with angels in a war that raged across the surface of the earth. It went on and on, millennia after millennia, neither side ever truly gaining the upper hand.” Ellie spoke with such detachment that it almost didn’t sound like it was her speaking. It was almost as if someone was speaking through her, using Ellie’s voice to tell a story.

“One day a group of angels and demons came together, each realising the futility of the endless war. Realising that there had been too much blood spilled on either side they formed a pact; two sons and daughters of God and two sons and daughters of Lucifer. They would lay with one another and their unions would bring about the end of the war. This was how the first of the Nephilim came to be.

“When they were ready, the Nephilim were let loose on the field of battle and they cut down angels and demons with equal ferocity. In time both sides began to realise that they could not overcome the Four and so the angels retreated back up to Heaven and the demons down to Hell. The Four sealed the gateway to Hell, making sure Lucifer’s army could never return. Once their task was done the Four faded from the world, only to return when the Great Balance is disrupted.”

Ellie fell silent and neither Joe, Louise nor I made a sound. Ellie blinked a few of times and then looked around at us, searching our faces.

“I don’t know where that came from.” She said, her tone becoming agitated, frightened. “I know I was talking, I could hear my voice but it wasn’t me. They weren’t my words. I don’t know what’s happening to me.” She dropped down to her knees and burst into tears.

No one said a word as Ellie sobbed on the kitchen floor. I looked over at Joe, he seemed undecided as to what to do next and then I saw Louise’s face and it nearly broke my heart. She tried to hide it but I saw a few tears trailing down her cheek; she couldn’t stand to see another living soul so torn up. Years of training had told me that I should still be on the defensive, still be weary of an attack of some kind. But there are times when you need to stop playing the soldier and be a human being, and one divining trait of being human is the ability to show compassion. I went over, knelt down beside Ellie and put my arm around her. She instinctively leaned into me as she continued to weep. There aren’t words to accurately describe what something like this can do to a person, physically and mentally. In the space of a few days your whole world is destroyed and is replaced by something you no longer recognise; it makes you feel like you don’t know what’s right any more, you don’t know if you have a right to exist in this twisted reality you’re left with and that nothing will make you feel normal ever again. I guess I had some idea of what Ellie was going through after all. The fallout from the destruction of the Red Court had left me with so many scars, not all of them visible, and it terrified me that it might never stop haunting me.

But now was not the time to let myself wallow in self-doubt. We still had Fallen Angels in the city which meant to cause some serious havoc unless we stopped them. I slowly began to stand up, gently helping Ellie back to her feet along the way. I still kept my arm around her and she stayed close to me.

“Joe there had to have been something else?” I said turning my attention back to Joe. “Something that might help explain what’s happening?”

“Sadly before I could learn anything else Ellie came into the room and Kadesh went…well you saw what happened.”

“Why did that… _thing_ react like that?” Louise ask.

“Because of the story we’ve just heard.” Joe responded. “Because of what the Nephilim represent to the entities from above and below. The myth of the Four Horsemen came about because they appeared when everything was literally going to shit; it was the end times. Now clearly something got lost in translation because most people believe that the Horsemen were heralds of the end of days, but what if what Ellie said is true? The Nephilim appear to try and save the world, not end it.”

“To restore the Great Balance or whatever that is.” I noted.

“But how do I know these things?” Ellie said, her voice strained from her crying. “How am I able to remember things I don’t know?”

“I wish I knew.” Joe said. “I really do. I can only guess that once your true nature came to light…”

“True nature?” Ellie interrupted. She glared at Joe with an anger that didn’t look right on her. “Am I just some kind of freak to you now?”

“That’s not what I mea…”

“Just another monster for you to put down, is that it?” Ellie ranted, cutting Joe off mid-sentence. Something wasn’t right here. If anyone had the right to be messed up at this moment it would be Ellie, but something about her anger, the rage she was displaying was off. Much like how she was when telling the story, this wasn’t her.

“Ellie this isn’t you.” I said positioning myself in front of her, holding her hands in mine. She looked at me with such fury, like she was mere seconds away from striking me down. Slowly I saw her pupils begin to fade and her eyes went completely white. A pale blue white light flickered to life on her skin, appearing in the form of strange tattoos that ran from her arms and spiralled up disappearing under her clothes, then emerging to decorate her neck, her cheeks and around her eyes. What the hell?

“We’re here to help you.” I pleaded. “We can help you get your life back but I need you to…” Before I could finish my sentence Ellie pulled her hands away and a blinding light filled the room. I only vaguely remember hitting the floor as one minute I was standing in front of Ellie and the next I was flat on my arse. The light began to fade and slowly I could see that the glow was actually emanating from the now quickly disappearing markings that had appeared on Ellie’s skin. Once the light and the markings were gone, her eyes returned to their natural green colour and she collapsed to the floor, like a puppet whose strings had just been cut. I looked around to find Joe and Louise on the floor having been knocked over like me. We all just stared at Ellie in disbelief and confusion.

“Ok what the hell was that?” Louise asked as she slowly sat up.

“Her power manifesting?” I answered looking at Joe for confirmation.

“Maybe her brain is reconnecting her memories.” He said.

“You think hearing about her origins sparked something?”

“It’s a possibility.”

We all got back to our feet and Louise raised her hand. “Can you please simplify that for the only Muggle in the room?”

That made me smile.

“Well firstly you need to stop reading books about teenage Wizards.” It brought a small smile to her face too. “The best way to describe it? Say there was a song that you knew all the lyrics to and then you didn’t hear it for years. Then one day someone mentions that song and suddenly you remember all the lyrics and can recite them with no problems.”

“So some kind of memory recall?” She asked

“Something like that.” I responded. “Once Joe announced that Ellie was one of these Nephilim,” I turned to Joe. “Which is still freaking me out by the way,” I turned back to Louise. “She went into that story about the Horsemen, like something trigged the memory. And once that happened it’s possible that her subconscious bridged the gaps in her brain which allowed her to access her abilities. Or her more overt abilities that is.”

“What do you mean overt?” Joe asked.

“I’ll explain in a minute,” I answered. “First things first we need to move Ellie somewhere more comfortable. We can’t just leave her on the kitchen floor.”

They both nodded in agreement and Joe helped me get Ellie up the stairs and back into the bed in the spare room. Making sure she was alright, I left the room the closing the door behind me and joined the others in the second spare bedroom. Once inside Joe recommenced his questioning.

“Ok time to explain what you meant by overt?”

“It’s something I felt when I first saw her and those feeling have crept up several times since. You wouldn’t have felt anything Joe because you’ve not spent any real time with Ellie but I can see it’s affected you Louise.”

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“Lou I’ve seen you cry twice in the past few hours. I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw you do that.”

She went to object but stopped herself before the words could leave her lips. She began to think about everything that had occurred in the past day and I could see the look in her eyes as she realised something wasn’t right. Louise wouldn’t have known to be on the lookout for mental intrusions of any kind because it’s not something she’s ever experienced. It was only just starting to make sense to me, now some of the gaps in my knowledge had been filled.

“I had no idea.” She muttered in shock. “How? How did she get into my head?”

“Best guess? I’d say it had something to do with the angelic side of her heritage.” I answered.

“Of course.” Joe said in understanding. “An angel’s grace can affect mortal emotions.” He turned to Louise and explained. “Whenever you hear about people who have been visited by angels, they say they felt warm and comforted in their presence like the burdens on their soul have been lifted. Well it’s an angel’s grace that allows them to subtly influence the mortal by suppressing their doubts or fears, helping to bring them peace, it’s what allows them to act on their choices.”

“But say you take the ability to affect emotions and passed it on to a child,” I added. “Then leave that child outside a church for it to grow up completely ignorant about its past and what it’s capable of?” I left that statment hanging in the air to let them draw their own conclusions. It was so obvious with everything we now knew, that I didn’t need to continue. Silence hung in the air for a moment but it was soon broken by the faint sound of someone crying.

“Ellie’s awake again.” Louise noted. “We should go talk to her.”

“I’ll do it.” I volunteered. “It might be best if I went alone. Less chance of her getting agitated if we’re not all crowding around her.”

“Are you sure?” Louise asked concern clear in her voice. “What if she goes off again? We don’t know what she’s capable of.”

“Louise is right, you shouldn’t go in there alone.” Joe added.

“She trusts me. I don’t think she’d try to hurt me, at least not on purpose. The last thing we want to do is make her feel like she’s being ganged up on, that’s more likely to set her off. But if I go in there and talk to her, one on one, I think I can help her get through this.”

Joe and Louise both looked at me without saying a word. I could see that Louise was very worried but I also knew that her emotions had been affected by her contact with Ellie; it would be hard for her not to be overly concerned. Joe on the other hand just looked pensive. He was clearly trying to think of how to talk me out of going in alone but he couldn’t come up with a valid argument.

“Listen, I get that this is a risk but it’s one that I need to take. She needs to know that we’re on her side especially now with everything she’s just found out about who she really is.”

They both remained silent a bit longer until Louise finally said, “You’re right. You should go and help her.”

“I’ll do my best.” I said and kissed her on the cheek. Joe nodded his head in acceptance and I braced myself. It was time to talk down a Nephilim.

 

 


	25. Chapter 25

I knocked on the door and waited a full five count before opening it and slowly peering into the bedroom. Ellie was sitting in the centre of the bed hugging her knees close to her chest, head bowed with her red hair hiding her face from view. She wasn’t making any more noise but the movement of her shoulders suggested that she was still crying.

“Ellie?” I said as I cautiously entered the room.

She looked up at me with sad emerald eyes, tears still falling down reddened cheeks. She blinked a few times and began to wipe the tears away with her hands.

“I’m sorry.” She said. “I promise I don’t usually cry this much.” I smiled at the comment and she tried to return it but only managed to move her lips half way.

“Well the fact that you’re still coherent, even after all this, is a good sign. I would have been committed long before now.” That comment earned a huff of laughter which was a step in the right direction. “May I?” I asked gesturing to the bed for permission to sit down.

Ellie nodded her head and shuffled over so I could sit next to her on the bed. I crossed my legs and sat there not saying a word. I figured it was best to just let Ellie build up the nerve to talk in her own time. We sat that way for a good three minutes, neither of us saying anything, just taking in the quietness.

“I’m sorry.” She finally said.

“Sorry for what?” I asked.

“For everything that’s happened. For all the trouble you’ve been through since that night.”

“With the way my night was going I would have found trouble sooner or later all by myself.” I replied.

“Still, the things they did to you…” She put her hand on my knee and I felt something inside me respond to her touch. Instantly I began to build up walls in my mind to defend myself against Ellie’s impromptu mental incursions. She didn’t know what was happening so it was important not to over react. As I was setting up the walls my hand moved of its own accord and placed itself over Ellie’s.

“The only thing I regret is that I wasn’t able to stop us from being taken in the first place.” I told her. “I meant what I said before, it’s meant to be my job to stop these sort of things from happening.”

Ellie was quiet for a second before she asked, “What is your job? What is it that you do?”

I could see this conversation was helping her calm down so decided to keep it going.

“I guess you’ll find out sooner or later.” I commented and proceeded to tell her about the White Council and the Wardens, about the other supernatural nations and the Seven Laws. As I explained things she continued to look at me in wonder.

“So you’re a…Wizard?” She asked. “So what you did that night, when we escaped that was…”

“That was magic, yeah.” I said finishing her sentence. “I’m what some would call an elemental. That means I specialise in the control and manipulation of the elements; wind, fire, water and earth.”

“Wow,” She gasped. “I can’t believe I’m talking to an actual Wizard.” I could be wrong but it almost sounded like she was geeking out on me. “I have so many questions. Do you guys have a school where you learn the things you can do? Is it in a castle?”

I huffed out a sigh. “What is it with people and those books? Sorry to break it to you but the child Wizard isn’t real.”

“So you don’t learn magic in a castle?” Ellie asked with genuine interest.

“Well…yeah, I guess.” I answered realising that Council HQ is in fact a castle and apprentices can in fact learn magic there. “But it’s completely different. There’s no hairy grounds keeper or wild mythical beasts roaming around.” I added defensively.

“But you’ve clearly read the books?” She commented with a smile on her face. It was a good thing to see and it suited her. It was the kind of smile that was hard not to respond in kind and feel good about it.

And that’s how we spent the next forty minutes. We talked about my back story, where I came from, how I met Louise and Joe and what it was like to be a Wizard in the modern age. She started telling me about her life, what it was like growing up, how she got into her field of study and what she usually did for fun. We talked about anything we could whilst ignoring the most obvious questions. We shared stories and bonded and laughed and it felt good. It was almost enough to make me forget our current troubles and there was a part of me that wanted to forget it all and just stay here with Ellie.

“And so I ran at the thing and we both went flying out of the window. Or what was left of it.” I said explaining how I came up with the idea to break down Joe’s living room door.

“That’s insane.” Ellie exclaimed. “How on earth did you survive falling from that high up?”

“A bit of creativity, imagination and sheer dumb luck.” I answered which gained another infectious smile. “But I didn’t make it out completely unscathed, I dislocated my shoulder…and I may have totalled a BMW.”

Ellie looked at me like she couldn’t tell if I was being truthful or not. But I got the feeling that she wasn’t actually looking _at_ me, it was as if she was staring at something else that just happened to be where I was sitting. It was the same look she gave me the day we arrived at Joe’s. After a second she burst out with laughter and began to shake her head. It was a pleasant sound to hear and it just seemed right to be coming from her, like I was finally seeing the real Ellie. She put her hand on my knee again and once more something stirred inside me in response to her touch.

“You really do get yourself into trouble don’t you?” She said as her laughter bubbled down to a gentle chuckle but slowly it faded altogether and we were once again left in silence. I almost didn’t want to start talking, to let this peace stretch out for as long as I could just so I didn’t have to take that smile away from her. But sometimes you have to push on no matter what, even when it hurts to do so.

“Ellie,” I said gently. “We have to talk about what’s happening and what we need to do next.”

Ellie didn’t speak. She drew back her hand, once again trying to curl herself in a ball. I gently placed my hand on her shoulder and she stopped and turned to look at me. Again I made sure to try and avoid eye contact as triggering a soulgaze now really wouldn’t be a good idea; before it was because I was afraid of what she might see but now I was more worried about what _I_ would find.

“I can’t even being to imagine what is going through your mind right now but I understand that this must be overwhelming and that you’re scared. Hell I’d be more worried if all of this _didn’t_ affect you. But my point is that you don’t have to go through this alone, we’re here to help. I’m here to help.”

Ellie remained quiet for a moment and I didn’t dare push any further without some kind of response. Suddenly I felt the presence of her hand resting on top of mine and she displayed a sad but appreciative smile. “Thank you Gabe.” She said softly.

I returned the smile and Ellie began to relax again, uncurling herself from her defensive ball. We lingered like that for several seconds and it was only something calling in the back of my mind that prompted me to move the conversation along.

“Ok,” I said clearing my throat. “So tell me about what happened in the kitchen. Where did that story about the Horsemen come from?”

Ellie shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. “I have no idea. As soon you all started talking about where I came from… _what_ I was, it was like these images just appeared in my mind’s eye and I knew exactly what they were.”

So our theory about memory recall wasn’t that far off.

“Can you tell me what was happening just before you passed out?” I asked.

Ellie started to frown, trying to concentrate on the relevant memories.

“At first I was afraid but then I just remember feeling really angry. Then, just like the tale of the Horsemen, images flashed in my mind.”

“What did you see Ellie?”

“Fighting.” She answered, her frown intensifying as she tried to remember. “I saw huge armies locked in battle, vast fields littered with unmoving bodies, arrows flying overhead, knights on horseback wading into hordes of enemy soldiers…” She gasped as her eyes opened wide. “I saw _war_.”

“You’re sure that’s what you saw?” I said trying my hardest to keep calm and not freak out. It wouldn’t do Ellie’s confidence any good if she saw mine crack. The images she saw helped her unlock some fraction of her abilities and I think what she sees is relevant to the origins of her power. If what she saw is to be believed then I had a scary suspicion about who Ellie was meant to become. The Horseman of War.

From what I could remember from the myths War was said to be the most dangerous of the Four Horsemen, causing devastation wherever it went. But the tales didn’t match up with Ellie’s story at all; how’d you go from saving all of existence as we know it to being written as a harbinger of the end of days?

“Positive.” She answered nodding her head. “Gabe what’s happening to me?”

My resistance broke and I put my arm around her, pulling her in close to me. She rested her head on my shoulder and her warmth was intoxicating. I felt it seep into my weary body, washing away all of my doubts and fears, offering me a level of clarity few people ever truly experience. It was the same sensation I felt when Ellie helped me through the gates at Victoria station; it offered me sanctuary when I felt too exhausted to carry on, it picked me up when everything became just too heavy to bare. I knew not to give in to it last time because we were being chased, because I had to keep us moving, but now we were safe it was that much harder to keep my thoughts straight. I felt Ellie move next to me and as I turned to look I found her staring right at me and before I knew what was happening, I felt myself being pulled into a soulgaze.

I stood on top of a rocky mountain. A beautiful blue summer’s sky stretched out above me, the sun shone brightly with birds dancing through the occasional cloud scattered here and there for added decoration. It looked peaceful and I wanted to stare up at it all day long. I could feel the sun’s rays warming my skin but it wasn’t the only heat I could feel.

I looked down and saw nothing but scorched earth. Pits of fire boiled up through to a molten surface, rivers of lava flowed freely destroying anything in its path. I could see _things_ scurrying along the red hot stone, pale creatures with black, bat like wings wearing armour of dark silver, there were hundreds of them and they were all furiously trying to climb the mountain. I looked up again and the birds in the sky had multiplied tenfold, only they weren’t birds; they were men and women with gloriously feathered wings of pure white and wearing dazzling armour of bright silver and they were slowly circling down towards me.

The two approaching forces were polar opposites in every way, one from the light and the other of the dark. It took me a moment to realise what they represented; they were the forces of Heaven and Hell and I was right in the middle of the conflict. But I noted I wasn’t alone as across from me was another rocky mountain with four shadowy forms resting on top. Slowly the forms began to solidify into the shape of four figures in dark hooded cloaks sitting on four horses; the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. In the centre between the two mountains one set of chains, colour similar to the armour worn by the angels, reached down from the sky above while another set, their colour matching the demons, rose up from the earth. I followed the chains to their centre where I saw a woman with red hair held in place, suspended by her wrists and ankles, and it looked as if the chains were being pulled apart. It was Ellie. She dangled there lifelessly, her hair covering her face from view but I could hear her quiet sobs echoing across the distance. Behind Ellie I could see one of the Horsemen motion forward a couple of trots on its steed and raise its right hand, pointing at Ellie.

“ _Angels and demons suffer an eternal conflict._ ” A deep voice bellowed, resonating between the mountains. I couldn’t see any movement in the Horseman’s cloak but I was positive the voice was coming from with its dark hood. “ _And so the same is said for the Nephilim, an eternal conflict of their nature. The burden bared by the children of light and dark. When they awaken their nature will be set, to conquer or conserve, to burn or build, these are the paths they must walk. Show them the way._ ”

The Horseman’s final words reverberated between the two mountains and rocks began to crumble. The peak of the mountain started to dissolve around me, pushing me towards the centre until there was barely any platform left for me to stand on. I looked up to see the angels diving towards me and from below demons flew upwards on their monstrous black wings. I was surrounded with no way out and I felt myself start to panic uncontrollably as creatures from above and below began clawing at me. I curled myself up into a ball, shielding my head with my arms. I lost control as the terror took over me and I let a blood curdling scream. I closed my eyes tight and waited in horror for the end to come.

But it never did.

I waited for what felt like an hour for something to happen but there was nothing. I dared to open my eyes again…

…and just like that, the soulgaze was over.

I was once again sitting on the bed in Joe’s spare room with Ellie by my side staring up into my eyes. She blinked a couple of times as she returned from the gaze and her eyes went wide. For a split second I thought I had lost her to fear, that whatever she saw in me had shattered the trust we had built and she wouldn’t be able to look at me again. A gift and curse of a soulgaze is that you never forget what you see and I feared that I had left Ellie with something unforgivable.

“Oh my,” Ellie whispered. My heart hung in my throat. “You…you poor man. The thing’s you’ve been through.” Then to my surprise she reached out and wrapped her arms around me.

I hadn’t realised that I had been holding my breath until it came out in a relieved sigh. I returned the hug and felt her warmth rush over me; I was still reeling from what I had seen in the soulgaze, so shocked that I welcomed the calming effect it had on me. The hug went on a second longer than we should have allowed it to, but eventually we both pulled away. Her hair brushed my cheek and I froze in place which prompted Ellie to follow suit. We were close, intimately so and our eyes met again, this time without the fear of peering in too deep. She gently touched my cheek with her finger tips, lightly tracing over where her hair had brushed against me. My skin tingled in response to her touch sending a shiver through me. Without warning we both moved closer, hesitating ever so slightly when our lips were barely a hairs width apart, but the emotions overcame us as are lips finally met.

Her lips felt soft against mine as we both started slowly, as if testing to see if the kiss felt right. It was quietly-sensuous but not impassioned, it felt warm and invited further exploration. Maybe I was just too tired, or too injured, or too worried about my prospects for immediate survival, but it felt good. It felt really good.

I tightened my grip on the kiss, and my arm rose, sliding deliberately around the small of her back, pulling her toward me.

Ellie let out a hiss of sudden excitement and her kiss grew deeper, swifter, her breath quickening. Her body shifted in steady tension against mine, and I could feel the heat of her against me. The fingers of her right hand ran through my hair while the other began pulling at my shirt, almost desperately trying to reveal the flesh beneath. I wanted my mouth to explore every sinuous curve of her. I wanted to drive her mad with need, to fill my senses with her warmth, her cries, her scent. We both fell deeper into the moment, letting the connection between us guide our actions and we started tugging on each other’s clothes.

But something kept calling to me, some thought in the back of my mind that I couldn’t quite understand kept circling just beyond my comprehension. Every time I tried to push it away it just came back louder and louder until it howled and screamed at me to let go.

Abruptly I pulled away from Ellie. We both sat back from one another panting. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips were slightly swollen. The quick pace of her breathing made her chest move in captivating ways.

“I’m…I’m so sorry…” Ellie panted. “I have no idea…what came over me.”

“Er…” I responded whilst trying to get my blood pumping back towards my big brain. “I…er…maybe I should let you get some sleep?” I finally said once my brain had rebooted.

“Right. That sounds…that sounds like a good idea.” She agreed.

“Right.” I repeated while slowly getting off the bed and backing away towards the door. “Ok then…well, I’ll…er, I’ll speak to you tomorrow.”

I opened the door and went to leave when Ellie called my name.

“Gabe?” I turned back to face her. She still looked flustered but had a gratifying expression. “Thank you. For everything.”

I smiled. “We’ll help you get through this Ellie, I promise.”

She nodded her head in thanks and I left. I closed the door on my way out but stopped and leant back against the wall, taking a moment to compose myself. I got pissed before when Marcus called into question my judgement, saying that I had been compromised, but I was now starting to think that maybe he was right. When I was around Ellie things become more complicated. Rationally I knew it was because of her emerging powers but that doesn’t help in practice. My mind had been so beaten down that my defences were at their weakest; I was compromised, otherwise that little scene would never have happened in the first place.

My heart tugged with regret at the thought of how Louise would react if she found out. I had never lied to her. I had omitted certain facts about my life, my world when she wasn’t ready to hear, given her half-truths but I had never flat out lied to her.

God my head was such a mess, there was so much going on that I felt like it was going to explode. I just wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, shout at someone, something until it cleared, but that was never a plan of action that actually amounted to anything. Instead I settled with releasing a deep and weary sigh before heading back downstairs to face Joe and Louise.

 


	26. Chapter 26

I headed back down to join the others to find them at the bottom of the stairs waiting for me; Joe was sitting on a chair by the elaborate mantel piece and Louise was pacing back and forth.

“He’s been up there too long.” I heard Louise say. “Maybe I should go up and check on them?”

“Leave them be Louise.” Joe responded. “They will be fine. Ellie trusts Gabe, she wouldn’t hurt him.”

I moved a little further down the stairs so I could clearly see what was going on. Lou had stopped pacing and was glaring down at Joe. “That didn’t stop her from laying all of our arses out on the floor earlier, did it? You said she has no idea what’s going on, that she can’t control her…abilities. Who’s to say that there won’t be another ‘ _accident_ ’?”

Louise sounded very agitated, a lot more than I was used to hearing from her. She was getting better with all the crazy that the supernatural can bring with it, but she still didn’t fully understand and I knew that frustrated her at times. This however was something different.

“What would you expect?” Joe answered back. “We had just told her that isn’t even human, that her entire life had effectively been a lie. As meltdowns go, that was pretty light.”

“Light?” Louise shot back, her tone slightly higher in pitch due to frustration.

“Yes,” Joe said. “Light. Louise I know this is difficult for you to understand but what you’re feeling right now, all this dread and worry and frustration, they’re not real. These emotions have been forced upon and because you don’t know how to deal with it, you’re taking it out on others.” Louise went to object but Joe was quick to interrupt her. He stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders bringing them face to face. “I need you to listen to me. I need to close your eyes and think back to a time, similar to this, when you were waiting for Gabe to come back from something.”

“Seriously?” Louise said with a sceptical look in her eye.

“Seriously.” Joe insisted. Louise sighed but did as he asked and closed her eyes. “Good, now think back. When have you found yourself waiting for Gabe?”

“When I sent him away from the hospital.” Louise replied. “Just after Reggie had been attacked. I told him to go and find out who was responsible.”

“Right so move ahead to the following day. You haven’t heard from him yet, how did you feel?”

“I was worried. Concerned that I hadn’t contacted me yet, but…” Louise hesitated, stopping her sentence short.

“But?” Joe said, his tone urging her along.

“But I knew that he could take of himself. That he would find his way back to me.” Louise opened her eyes and I could see a physical change in how she carried herself. Her shoulders relaxed and she lost all the tension holding her back straight.

“Those are your true feelings. Hold onto them.” Joe told her, offering a reassuring smile.

“Thank you Joe.” She said.

I took that as a natural cue for me to make my entrance. “Glad to see you guys getting along without me.” Both Joe and Louise looked up at me coming down the stairs and they both smiled.

“How’s she doing?” Joe asked.

“As well as can be expected all things considered. Ellie’s calm for now and I suggested that she get some sleep but there’s something I need to tell you.” Joe stared at me with a puzzled expression on his face. “Things are crazier than we thought. You might wanna sit down for this.”

We all went upstairs and I lead them into the second spare room. I couldn’t help but be a little resentful; I mean, to have a house so big that you’ve got more than one spare room? Some people are just greedy.

We walked into the room and Joe sat on the chair by the window whilst Louise situated herself on the edge of the bed. Once we were all inside I closed the door and joined Louise, sitting next to her on the bed and then I began to tell them what happened with the soulgaze between me and Ellie. Naturally I omitted the details of the fallout as there is a time and place to say certain things and this was neither. I told them what I saw, about the two armies, the Four Horsemen and their cryptic message. They both remained silent whilst I told them what happened but all the while Joe had a look in his eyes, there was something on his mind and once again I couldn’t read him.

“So you think that now Ellie knows what she is,” Louise said as I finished speaking. “She’s going to struggle with which heritage to follow?”

“Something like that.” I confirmed. “From what I could make out Ellie’s soul is torn, she can either learn to use her gifts to help prevent the apocalypse or ensure it. Either way she’s going to have a huge role in things to come and it’s up to us to help her choose which side she’s on.”

“Not us Gabe.” Joe interrupted. “You.”

“Joe what are you talking about?” Louise asked.

“Soulgazes are different for everyone, no two Wizards see the same thing when they look into someone’s soul.” Joe explained. “They may be able to come to the same conclusion about what they’ve seen, but the vision itself is unique. Now you said the Horseman actually spoke to you?” I nodded my head to confirm. “Then it’s clear. I don’t know what possessed you to initiate a soulgaze with Ellie in the first place but that doesn’t matter now. By speaking directly to you the spirit of the Horseman has put her soul in your hands.”

He stood up from the chair and walked over to the bed where he placed his right hand on my left shoulder.

“I wish I didn’t have to tell you this Gabe…”

“Then feel free not too.” I said interrupting him but he ignored me.

“The fate of everything is resting on your shoulders.”

He had to say it. I was going through enough as it was, barely keeping my mind straight, I didn’t need him to tell me that it all ends if I screw up. I didn’t need this. I didn’t need the extra pressure of this burden when I was already carrying more than my fair share. This was meant to be simple. All I was meant to do was find where the Fomor were hiding and kick them out of the city. I didn’t ask for any of this and yet here I was, with possibly the whole world in my hands. How was I meant to look after something like that when I could barely keep my own shit together?

I buried my head in my hands and let out a big sigh. “We are so fucked.”

My comment caught both Joe and Louise by surprise. By their reaction they were clearly expecting some form of inspirational speech or something but I just didn’t have it in me.

“Gabe what do you mean?” Joe asked.

I stood up and moved past him, walking away from the bed. “I mean if everything truly is depending on me right now then we are royally screwed.” I started to pace back and forth across the room. “I barely understand what’s going on, I have two groups of fallen angels running around the city, each of which would be more than happy to kill me if we cross paths again. The Council has abandoned me, I have been beaten, tortured repeatedly for several days and have had my mind assaulted more times in the last few days than I have in my entire life. And that’s already way more than I am comfortable with.” I stopped pacing in front of the bedroom window and just looked out into the night sky. “If the world is trying to call out for a…a saviour or a ‘ _chosen one_ ’, then it’s got the wrong number.”

The room fell quiet. I could feel their eyes on me, their minds trying to catch up with my rant and how they should react. Hell I was just as surprised by it as they were. I didn’t realise how much of it I was bottling up until just then, until it all came flooding out.

“Joe,” Louise said breaking the silence. “Can you please give us a minute?”

“Sure.” Joe replied. “It’s probably a good idea if we all tried to get some sleep. You two are more than welcome to this room.” Then he left, closing the door behind him.

I felt a presence standing next to me as I continued to stare out the window. Neither of us said anything for a good five minutes, which is a pretty long time when all you’re doing is just standing there. I knew what Louise was trying to do; she was letting me do things at my own pace, she wasn’t there to rush me or push me into saying anything until I was ready. But human nature is a funny thing as people generally become uneasy when someone is watching over their shoulder, it makes them feel like they have to do or say something. It was a passive-aggressive tactic, one she had used many times before to interview slash interrogate people. It always annoys me when she uses her police methods on me, but I guess when you’re faced with the unknown you tend to fall back on what you _do_ know.

“You know I hate it when you do the whole passive-aggressive thing right?” I finally said.

“I know.” She answered simply. The silence stretch out a little longer.

“Is this the part where I’m supposed to break down and start talking?” I asked.

“Is there something you want to talk about?” She countered.

“Anything in particular you want me to say?” I said answering her counter question with another question. It’s a game _I_ fall back on when she tries to annoy me with interrogation technics.

“What are you comfortable in sharing?” Louse countered again frustratingly. It’s what can happen when you play with a professional.

“Damn it Lou.” I sighed shaking my head in frustration. I turned to face her. “What do you want me to say?”

“Let’s start with what’s actually going on with you?” She replied, her tone heated. “I’ve never known you to be the type to shy away, not when there are people counting on you to help them.”

“You ever think that this time it’s too much?” I answered with equal fire. I moved past Louise and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’ve tried to do the right thing, always, but it just seems that this time I’m being punished for it.”

Louise didn’t say a word. She just motioned towards the bed and stood in front of me.

“I tried to do the right thing with the Red Court. I tried to do the right thing and help Ellie and I even tried doing the right thing by going to the Council for help. What has any of that gotten me? Everyone has a limit, there is only so much a man can take before he breaks. God help me, I think I’m long past mine.”

My voice cracked with emotion as the tears began to well in my eyes. Everything they say about men not crying or it being a weakness, it’s all bull because it shows that you can feel. Feel what’s going on around you, feel the pain and sadness and joy and love. Right now my soul was in pain with, literally, the weight of the world baring down on top of it.

I felt Louise’s hand running through my hair, letting me know that she was there. I reached up, talking hold of Louise hand and slowly brought it level with my mouth. I lightly kissed the back of her fingers, her smooth skin warm against my lips. She knelt down in front of me, bringing herself down to eye level with me. She tried to look me in the eyes which I consented to for the briefest of moments before I looked away; I had already had one unexpected soulgaze, I wasn’t sure I could handle another. She placed her right hand on my cheek, it felt soft and gentle and I felt myself resting my head against it.

“Do you remember how religious my dad used to be?” Louise asked me.

I blinked a couple of times trying to push the tears out of my eyes. “Yeah. He used to keep lecturing us about ‘living in sin’ when we actually started going out.” Thinking back on those memories brought a small smile to my face as it did for Louise.

“He did love his speeches.” She joked. “But do you remember what he always used to tell me whenever I was down about something?” I shook my head. “He used to say ‘Louise, God will only give you a burden He knows you are strong enough to carry. He will give you friends and loved ones to help make the weight easier to bare and lighten your heart; but you will always have the strength in you to face whatever happens.’” She leant in and kissed my forehead before resting her head against mine. “Let me help lighten your heart Gabe. Let me make it easier to bare.”

My throat closed up as my emotions took over and I couldn’t answer, so instead I just put my arms around her and held her tight. Louise said nothing else as she returned the hug and the two of us just sat there in each other’s arms, in silence.

There are moments in life where words aren’t enough to express yourself, when they just get in the way of what you truly mean. It’s when the phrase ‘actions speak louder than words’ feels more applicable, makes more sense than at any other time.

This was one of those moments.

We just held one another and for the first time in, I can’t remember how long, I felt the tumult in my mind and my heart slow down. Thoughts were no longer spiralling out of control, they were no longer anchoring my heart in despair. I was finally starting to know some kind of peace. At some point we had laid back on the bed, still holding each other, and we stayed that way until sleep took us both.

 


	27. Chapter 27

My sleep was plagued by strange dreams. I found myself once again standing in the middle of the fields of Chichén Itzá, thunder and lightning clashed overhead and in the distance monsters howled into the night. I couldn’t see where the noises were coming from and looking around revealed no presences close by; I was alone. Just me in a strange hooded grey cloak and holding a staff of white wood.

Suddenly a snarling growl caught my attention and I saw a creature, long arms, flesh as black as night and white fangs come rushing toward me. It leapt into the air to attack me with its clawed hands and in reply I thrusted my staff upwards roaring out a word of power. Fire flew forth from the end of the staff and ripped into the creature, burning it down to ashes. The thing didn’t even have time to cry out it pain as the fire reduced it to nothing.

Afterwards a second monster appeared out of nowhere and much like the first I burnt that one to dust as well.

And the next.

And the one after that.

One after the other, the creatures continued to charge at me in quick concession only to be burnt down by conjured fire. But no matter how many I killed, more and more kept coming and it wasn’t long before I was completely surrounded. Everywhere I looked I saw giant bat like creatures, their white fangs gleaming in the darkness with red tongues snaking from open maws. They slowly began to close the circle around me. I did my best to keep them away, taking out a couple of creatures here and there but there were so many of them that whatever holes I created in their ranks didn’t stay empty for long. Their every footstep bringing them closer and closer to their prey.

Soon they were too close for my fire magic, if I had tried to use it I would have been caught in the backdraft, so I changed tactic and instead to using heat I made use of the cold. I sent my will through the staff and with a commanding word, frost began to form at both ends, covering my weapon in a layer of jagged ice. I whirled the staff around my head, building up the momentum, and as soon as one of the creatures was within striking distance I swung the weapon hitting it across the side of its face. Razor sharp ice tore at the creature’s face, dark blood splattering the ground and it’s horde with equal gore. The coating at the end of the staff had cracked and splintered after the impact; I sent a little more of my will through the staff and the ice reformed and solidified, covering up the damage.

They continued to close in around me and I fought with everything I had, reapplying the spell to my staff when needed. I was operating on the very limits of my training, my endurance and my instincts; my reactions were guiding my movements as fast as they could but the longer this went on the slower they got. I caught one creature on the jaw with an upward swing and was about to bring the staff down on another when a third creature surprised me by hitting me from my blind spot. It lashed out, catching me while I was off balance and it ripped the staff from my hands, sending in tumbling off into the horde. Sensing their prey was now vulnerable, the monsters howled with excitement and surged forward. Still reeling from the attack, I had no time to gather myself before their claws started to tear at me. The cloak offered little protection against numerous ferocious strikes and I found myself getting beaten to the ground, completely unable to get my hands up to defend myself. Blow after blow rained down and soon the seer mass of the creatures blotted out the sky and my world went black.

That was when I usually woke up but something was wrong, I wasn’t leaving the dream. Instead growls continued to fill the air, I still felt claws and fangs pulling at my flesh, I could feel everything growing cold and numb. I was starting to panic as I tried to bring myself out of the dream but something was anchoring me place. But just when I was about to lose all hope I heard a gentle feminine voice speak to me.

“ _Don’t be afraid, they can’t hurt you now_.”

“ _Ellie?_ ” I thought to myself. “ _How are you here?_ ”

“ _Shhh. Everything will be ok_.” Said the voice. “ _As for you. You are not welcome here!_ ” The voice began to change, become more resonant. It was still Ellie’s voice but there was another talking over her, harmonising the same words. “ _I CAST YOU OUT!_ ”

And just like that, the pain and coldness went away and everything went white…

 

...I sat bolt upright in bed, panting heavily and covered in a cold sweat. I looked around to see that I was back in Joe’s spare room. Next to me Louise sat staring at me with a mixture of relief and worry.

“Gabe? Are you ok?” Louise asked, her voice shaking in panic.

“Wha…What happened? What’s going on?” I asked.

“You started calling out in your sleep. You sounded like you were in pain. I tried to wake you but you wouldn’t wake up, you just kept crying out.” Louise explained. “I was frightened that I had lost you.”

“You nearly did.” I panted. “If it wasn’t for…”

A scream echoed through the house but it sounded like it was coming from outside.

“What was that?” Louise asked.

“Ellie.” I replied and jumped straight out of bed, racing for the door.

Just as I left the room Joe came running up to me; he was wearing the same apparel as the day before. “Gabe what’s going on?”

“I have no idea.” I told him as I made my way to Ellie’s room. I opened the door but the room was empty, there was no sign of Ellie. The scream sounded out again, this time there was more pain accompanying the cry than before.

“She’s on the balcony garden.” Joe stated and ran out of the room.

Louise and I followed him down the corridor, up another flight of stairs and through a door to the left that lead us out onto a large balcony that lookedo out over the city. The sun was starting to come up over the horizon, spreading its golden illumination across Buckingham Palace Gardens and the buildings surrounding it. The balcony itself was surprisingly spacious (much like the rest of Joe’s house) with large, square concrete paving slabs surrounding the door and leading off to the left where an outdoor table and chairs set rested. A few feet from the door the concrete gave away to a luscious, well-kept green lawn, the kind that feels soft under bare feet. In the four corners sat large potted plants of some kind; being a complete amateur when it comes to gardening I had no idea what they were. I would have said they were palm trees but I would more than likely be wrong. Ellie was standing by the balcony’s edge, her hands pressed against the side of her head and her eyes held closed. She seemed to be muttering something quietly to herself, I couldn’t hear what she was saying but it was clear to see that she was frightened.

“Gabe you need to go talk to her.” Louise said. I looked back at her quizzically and she urged me on again. “We all know that most of this is way over my head but I know Joe was right; you have to be the one to help Ellie. Whatever has happened there is an obvious connection between the two of you now, you’re the only one who can get her through this.”

I felt a twinge on guilt in my chest as there was a sadness in Louise’s eyes when she spoke. I went to say something but Louise simply put a hand on my chest to stop me. “There’s no time to explain.” She said softly. “Go, help her.”

I really needed to talk to her, to tell her what was happening but she was right, it would have to wait. I finally nodded my head in agreement and slowly walked towards Ellie. As I got closer I realised that she wasn’t muttering to herself, she was reciting a prayer.

“Ellie?” I said trying to get her attention but it didn’t work, she only continued repeating the prayer over and over. I stopped in front of her and placed my hands on her shoulders. “Ellie?” I said again and this time she opened her eyes; they were unfocused, like she was looking at everything and nothing all at the same time.

“G…Gabe?” Ellie responded. “P…please help…help me. It’s too much.”

I had to be the one that remained calm as it would not help Ellie’s state of mind if I lost my cool. I had no idea what was going on but I needed to act like it.

“Talk to me Ellie,” I said in a controlled, passive tone of voice. “What’s going on? What’s too much?”

“Everything.” She said. “Everything is too much. I can see it all, all of them out there. On each of their faces, their bodies and in their minds. So much pain, so many scars.”

Scars? Why did that sound familiar? The puzzle went through my mind back and forth several times as I went back over my memories for the past few days. I hoped there was some kind of clue, some kind of answer. And there was. She had said something about scars just after we got to Joe’s, about how she thought she had seen something when we were on the train together. What caused her to see something? What was I doing at the time? We had just escaped captivity, we were on the train and I was trying to plan our next step and my mind wondered back to the war. That’s it! She was seeing my pain as some kind of mental manifestation. That’s what she was seeing, she was literally seeing the scars of every living person out there. Bloody hell no wonder it’s too much for her, her powers were showing her more than she knew how to handle.

“Ellie,” I said getting her attention back to me. “Ellie I know how to help you but I need you to listen to me ok?” She looked at me and nodded. “Ok Ellie I need you to focus. You say you’re seeing everyone’s pain and that’s why it hurts, it’s too much input for your brain to cope with. So instead I need you to focus on me, look at me.”

I stood back from her so she could see all of me. Ellie looked at me, her eyes desperately trying to focus on something just below the surface.

“I…I can’t,” She cried. “There’s too many, I can’t see you.”

“Imagine each person you’re seeing is like a single page in a book. Each time someone comes up that isn’t me, just turn the page. Can you do that for me?”

Ellie nodded her head again and this time her eyes, while looking in my direction, became unfocused, distant, flicking back and forth, left and right like flicking through a book.

“That’s it, you can do it Ellie. Just like that.” I called to her, encouraging her to continue.

I felt something being stir in my memories, drawing prominent thoughts to the forefront of my mind. She was getting closer. I heard the cry of dying monsters howl in the distance, my skin began to tingle as I felt the presence of magic in the air. My breathing was getting quicker as I was forced to relive the memories I’ve been trying to run away from. I fell to my knees as my legs lost the strength to support me and I felt like the world was closing in around me.

“I did it.” Ellie called. “I found you, I…I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

“T…the decision is…is yours Ellie.” I told her, my voice shaking and causing me to stutter. I was trying desperately to keep it together, to keep the visions of Chichén Itzá from overwhelming me. As well as all of that I was also working on an assumption on how Ellie’s abilities worked, I guess you could say I was taking a leap of faith. “Only y…you can decide h…how to use your gifts. Y…you can either heal p…people and set them free…free from their pain or you can u…use their suffering to…to crush them and remove them from the world. The choice is yours.”

I did everything I could but every mental wall I put up in my head came crumbling down and my mind was flooded with images and thoughts and feelings of the night the Red Court died. It was all so incoherent and jumbled that I didn’t know what was happening. My heart was thumping hard and heavy in my chest and I was breathing so fast that I was almost suffocating. Just as everything was coming down around me I felt a soothing presence approaching and a hand was gently placed on my head. I looked up to see Ellie standing in front of me, blue-white sigils lighting her skin and solid white eyes looking back.

“You have carried these scars for long enough.” Ellie said and like in my dream, there was a second voice speaking in concert with hers. “It is time to free you from this burden.”

All of a sudden the sigils covering Ellie began to move towards me until I was bathed in the warm blue-white light. All the scattered thoughts and images twisting around in my head slowly, one by one, began to disappear; I still had the memories and feelings that accompanied them but the sense of apprehension, of dread that usually tagged along was nowhere to be felt. All the fear and doubt whittled away until I was left with one single thought…

 

…Survive. That was the only thought in my head, I had to survive this crazy conflict. That I needed to do whatever it took to make sure I made it home. Even if it meant slaying every vampire that gets in my way. But things were totally out of control; a Way into the Nevernever had been opened by one of my grey cloaked companions and these bird-headed ninjas started to pour out and went straight for the Reds. Their timely arrival had turned this fight from impossible into just extremely difficult.

The Reds however just kept coming, they were holding nothing back. This was their place of power, their home turf and they were going to defend it to their dying breath. The bird ninjas had given us some extra bodies on the ground but we were still outnumbered.

Had I managed to gather with a couple of the other grey cloaked Wizards near the base of the giant Mayan pyramid; one had resorted to using a silver broadsword to defend himself after a vampire got too close and wrenched his staff way while the second Wizard had been cutting the creatures down with magic and bullets alike. The ninja birds provided us with some much needed breathing space but I could tell that like me, my companions were really starting to feel the fatigue set in. I don’t care how much training you do to keep yourself fit, there is no cardio programme in the world that can prepare you for something like this. We had all been pushing our abilities and our bodies to the limit just to make it this far only there wasn’t an end in sight; we couldn’t see the finish line through the hordes of monsters in front of us. If this went on for much longer none of us would be making it out alive.

The gun wielding Wizard had just finished reloading what looked like a Luger P08 when above us something unleashed an agonised scream. It echoed loudly from atop of the Mayan pyramid, the sound of something ancient in pain. Then something really creepy happened; the entire Red Court began to cry out in unison. The sound of the collective screams drew our attention back to ground level and I really wished it hadn’t as we saw everything single creature of the Court come charging towards us.

The other members of my mysterious group had begun to form around us at this point, readying themselves for what was to be our last stand. There was no use in trying to deny it anymore, once the Court had reached us we would be fighting a losing battle. Sure from what I seen of my companions we would put up one hell of a fight, we would make the bastards work for it, but out deaths were all but assured. We could do nothing but brace ourselves for what was to come. The vampires ate up the distance as they raced towards us, they were coming so fast that there was barely enough time for the fear to register. They must have only been about fifty feet away from us when a tall, grey cloaked figure walked out in front of us and without hesitation slammed the end of his staff down on the ground. The sky crackled with thunder and then a massive bolt of lightning streaked down from the heavens, detonating in a blinding flash of white light so bright I had to shield my eyes against it. The ground beneath my feet shook and I staggered back a couple of steps, my ears rang and for a few seconds all I could hear was a high pitch whining noise. My vision was the first thing to come back and everything was playing out like a silent horror movie; dirt and rubble where still falling to the ground, I could see fires flickering over charred bodies through the dust cloud and as the whining in my ears began to settle I could hear creatures crying out in pain. There was a clear sense of panic and confusion in the enemy lines and it had brought us a few seconds but it wasn’t enough. The Court’s numbers were just too large, the front lines may have been broken but those bringing up the rear were more than enough to replace them.

We had given it our all but it wasn’t going to be enough. We were going to die here and I couldn’t help but feel sad that I wasn’t going to see ones I cared for again, that I wouldn’t get to see Louise one last time. On top of that I was also feeling angry; I was pissed that I was dragged into this fight without being given a choice. That I had been sent on this suicide mission with no idea why I was here or what we were to accomplish. But I guess those questions no longer mattered.

As the army of vampires swiftly charged towards us, I began to gather every bit of my remaining will for one final attack. A Wizard’s death curse is a last resort spell, a ‘break glass in emergency’ application of magic. It consumes all the power a Wizard has, including the energy it takes to stay alive, hence the name. It was a Wizard’s final middle finger to whoever they aimed it at and right now I was planning on taking out as many of these bastards as possible. I could feel the magic being gathered by my companions and I could sense them doing the same thing, preparing their final spells.

Then all of a sudden a wave of ennergy washed over us, like a tidal wave of dark power that came rolling down from the pyramid, and while it did nothing to us it all but slammed into the ranks of the Red Court. Their pace faltered as the energy passed through them and they immediately began to cry out in pain; all of them, from the full out beasts to the half blood jaguar warriors. I had no idea what was going on until the first of the creatures died; their chest exploded outwards in a cloud of gore and it dropped to the ground. It happened again and again almost simultaneously until the sea of monsters laid at our feet. Those who were not fully turned began to wither away, ageing a year for every few seconds that passed until there was nothing left but dust. Whatever energy was released from the pyramid had dropped hundreds of vampires in an instant.

But more amazingly, we were alive.

We had fought the Red Court and won.

The war was over…

 

…The memory finished and I found myself back on Joe’s balcony with Ellie standing before me. Her hands fell to her side and she dropped to her knees, the sigils on her skin nowhere to be seen.

“I…I did it.” Ellie said sounding a little exhausted. “I did what you said, I found you through your scars and I healed you.”

I can’t explain what happened or how she did what she did but I knew something in me had changed. I just felt…lighter, freer than I had in a long time like there was nothing holding me back any more.

“What just happened?” Joe asked while stepping towards us cautiously.

“That,” I exhaled deeply. “That was Ellie choosing her path.” I smiled at Ellie and for the first time she managed to fully return it.

“Such a heart-warming moment, I’d almost hate to break it up.” A well-spoken feminine voice said. I turned around to see Lilith standing just outside the doorway way with Botis and Morax, who had one massive hand around Louise’s throat. Joe went to move but quicker than the eye could track Botis produced a small curved dagger and without hesitation, threw it at Joe. The weapon buried into Joe’s left thigh, robbing him of any momentum and causing him to call out in pain. I caught Joe as he fell and helped him to the ground.

“I suggest you reframe from any further heroics otherwise my friend will crush this woman’s windpipe.” Lilith said and just as an example, Morax tightened his grip and Louise made a choking gasp.

I held my right hand, palm out in a passive gesture.

“Excellent,” Lilith purred. “Let’s get down to business shall we.”

 


	28. Chapter 28

“You know what we want.” Lilith stated. “It would be in everyone’s best interest to not drag this out any longer than it needs to be.” Her eyes continually flickered back and forth between me and Ellie.

Morax towered over Lilith to her right while Botis stood silently to her left; both sets of eyes focused solely on me. Clearly they were both the type to hold a grudge. Morax was big but agile, if I made any attempt to move or cast a spell he would snap Louise’s neck quicker than I could blink. My main support would have been Joe but with that dagger sticking out of his leg he wasn’t any good to me right now. That just left Ellie who was not ready for this kind of situation, not by a mile.

I was on my own with no options.

“I do know what you want Lilith,” I said. “I just don’t know why.”

She flashed a sensuous pout but there was a wickedness behind her eyes. “Sadly you never wi…”

“She wants revenge.” Ellie said interrupting her. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the sigils on Ellie’s skin begin to reappear. “On those who cast her out of the garden. She wants them to know her pain.”

Lilith’s calm and confident manner broke as he glared at Ellie with pure malice. “ _Stay out of my mind_.” She spat. Lilith made a gesture to Morax and I saw his muscles begin to tense.

“Power down Ellie.” I told her. She looked at me and slowly nodded her head. The sigils faded as she held back her gifts. Situation aside, I was damned impressed with how quickly she had been able to get a handle on her power. “There is no need for anyone to make any rash moves.” I continued as I shot Louise a quick glance. I could see in her eyes that she was more pissed off than afraid but also knew she was no match for Morax.

“Well that all depends on you now Gabriel, doesn’t it?” Lilith responded. “I offered you power and riches once before and you spat in my face. So now I must resort to harsher methods of persuasion.”

“You were offering nothing more than a lifetime of being enslaved to you.” I replied. “Call me old fashioned but I believe a relationship is all about the give and take, not just the taking.”

“Had the half-breed not interfered in your dreams you would already be my willing slave.” Lilith said shooting Ellie another spiteful glare. “I do have to admit she has come along quite nicely. Should make what is to come a little easier.” She returned her gaze to me. “Now you have exactly thirty seconds to hand the half-breed over to me or the woman you care for will die.”

My mind worked furiously trying to come up with some kind of plan to get us all out of here safe and sound, but each one ended with one or more of us dead. Nothing I could come up with was good enough. I felt a hand gently touch my shoulder and looked around see Ellie crouched beside me.

“It’s ok Gabe,” She told me. “I’ll go with them.”

“Ellie you can’t.” I said trying to object.

“I won’t be the reason for you getting hurt. I know you’re trying to figure out a plan to save us but it’s only going to make things worse.” She gave me a brief smile. “It’s your job to come rescue me right?” With that said, Ellie stood up and walked towards Lilith.

“Well now, it’s good to see you people can be smart.” Lilith said with a mild hint of contempt in her voice.

Once Ellie was by her side Lilith gave the order to Morax and with a huff, he released his hold on Louise. She turned to shoot Morax a look and slowly backed up towards me, never taking her eyes off the bulking angel. The tension was thick in the air, I knew both Botis and Morax were just waiting for an excuse to wreak havoc and that even the slightest of movements would be enough to set them off.

“Right, well that concludes our business.” Lilith said firmly holding onto Ellie’s arm. “Just so we’re clear Gabriel, if I see you again there will be no offer made. If you interfere with my plans again I will kill you.” She waved her hand in the air and they were gone. No fanfare or smoke or shimmers of light, they just vanished from sight.

I waited a couple of heart beats to make sure they really were gone before turning my attention to Joe who still had a blade sticking out of his leg. He was breathing deeply to give himself something else to focus on other than the pain. Louise had already moved away from us, pulling out her mobile phone to make a call. I gave the wound a quick once over; it was bleeding but there wasn’t enough blood to suggest that the blade hadn’t cut anything vital.

“I’m going to have to pull the blade out.” I told him. “It’s going hurt.”

“This isn’t the first time I’ve been stabbed.” Joe shot back through gritted teeth. “I know it’s going to blood hurt, just do it already!”

With no further warning, I took hold of the dagger’s hilt and pulled the blade free. Joe cried out in pain as I removed the weapon but was quick to reign himself in to a steady moan. Louise returned with her shirt in her hand, revealing the black vest top she wore underneath, and immediately pressed it down on Joe’s leg to slow the bleeding. I looked at the blade for a moment and had the distinct urge run it through Botis’ eye socket. With that in mind I hooked the dagger through my belt to save it for later use.

“An ambulance is on its way.” Louise told me. “Gabe, what the hell was all that? What did Ellie do?”

“For a lack of a better way to describe it, she healed me.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Joe added with a grunt of pain.

“I’m sorry Joe but I don’t have time to try and explain it. I’ve gotta go after them.”

“I’ll wait with him until the ambulance gets here.” Louise told me. “Just promise me you’ll stop that bitch.”

I offered her a fierce but reassuring smile and set off to leave. Before I could move, Joe reached out to me.

“Here,” He said as he reached into his pocket. “If you want to move around the city quickly then you’re going to need this.” He pulled something out of his pocket and placed it in my hand. It was a simple key with a black top and a small lightsabre keyring. “I won’t be able to use it any time soon. Just don’t scratch it.”

A wolfish grin spread across my lips. I nodded to them both before making my exit. I raced through the house, heading down the two sets of stairs (house too big grumble, grumble) and out the front door where I saw Joe’s gift waiting for me by the side of the road. A nineteen forty eight Harley Davidson Shovel motorcycle. Now I have to admit I didn’t know a great deal about motorbikes, except how to ride one, but standing in front of Joe’s bike I felt like a kid again. I had wanted to ride this bike since I was ten, from the first time I had seen Joe pull up outside my parents’ house.

When I started training with Joe I would always pester him about him teaching me how to ride it, which was usually followed by a short two word answer. Eventually he did teach me to ride a bike but much to my annoyance I still wasn’t allowed to ride his. Joe is very proud of his bike, he does pretty much all the restoration and maintenance himself so there was some part of me that wanted to treat it with the upmost respect. However the childish side me quickly overruled that state of mind and I mounted the machine with adolescent abandon and kid like glee. I put the key in the ignition, turned it and put my foot down on the starter pedal. The engine roared to life with such ferocity that it made me grin like the Cheshire Cat.

I now had the means to go after Lilith but I first needed to prepare. I wouldn’t get very far by running in head first as I am; so before I did anything I needed to arm myself and that meant going back to my flat. With my course set, I revved the Harley’s engine with juvenile joy and roared off down the road.

 

I made it back to my place in very good time (thank you Joe). I parked the bike outside my building, ran through the doorway and raced up the stairs. I wasted little time in getting to my floor but something made me stop short at the top of the stairs; some gut feeling told me there was danger close by. Very carefully I opened the door just enough to give me a gap to peer through. I could see down the hallway towards my apartment, it was only a few feet away so I had clear view of my front door, but my gut proved correct as I saw a man standing outside my door. He had a shaved head with a mild tan, roughly my height with a bigger physical build and dressed in casual dark clothing. I noted the bulge in his jacket indicating he was armed. There was no doubt in my mind that he was one of Lilith’s crew, someone she had sent to wait and see if I would be foolish enough to go back home. We’ll I guess she was right because here I was, wanting to get into my flat.

This was going to be tricky; it was clear he knew the layout of this floor as he had positioned himself directly facing the stairwell door, the one I was currently hiding behind. With this and the lift that was next to me being the only ways of getting to this floor, it would stand to reason that this would be the direction I would come from. The only thing on the other side of him is a stretch of corridor and a recently renovated window.

I wasn’t going to be able to sneak past him but maybe I could draw him away.

I took the key to Joe’s bike from my pocket, tossed them in the guy’s direction and immediately hid to the right of the doorway. I could hear cautious footsteps slowly coming closer and the clack of a bullet being slid into the chamber of his gun. He had been given instructions to shot first and not ask questions. The door to the stairwell opened swiftly and I pressed myself against the wall, trying my hardest to become one with it. I could hear him shifting his weight which suggested he was trying to get a good look of the stairwell without having to actually walk through the doorway. There was very little hiding room and anyone with tactical training would have probably been able to spot me, which led me to believe this guy was somewhat lacking on that front. Slowly he edged his way through the doorway and I began to see the tip of the gun barrel, its square shape made it look like a nine millimetre Beretta.

Not that by knowing what kind of gun it was would make it hurt any less if I got shot.

As he edged his way through the opening, I could see that he was holding the gun in his left hand without the support of the other. Either he was confident in his ability to handle firearms or he really didn’t have any sort of training and thought it looked cool.

Time to show him the error of his ways.

I rushed him, using the element of surprise as my weapon and he gasped in shock. I pushed him against the door frame, grabbed the wrist of his gun arm in my left hand and then, putting all of my weight behind my right forearm, struck him at the elbow. The joint snapped and he screamed in pain. The gun clattered to the floor, his fingers too numb to maintain the grip. The guy crumpled to the floor cradling his broken arm, his face turning several shades paler as the shock set in.

Most the people who live here should have gone to work by now but someone would have heard his cry. Eventually they will either come out and investigate or just straight away call the police. I needed to be quick.

I retrieved the gun from the floor and aimed it at the fallen man, holding the gun in my right hand and using my left to steady it, adopting a weaver stance.

“Who are you?” I growled.

“C…Cal.” He stuttered through the pain.

“As you seem to be in a chatty mood why don’t you start by telling me what Lilith is planning?”

“I, I don’t know who you’re talking...”

“ _Bullshit!_ ” I snarled interrupting him. I moved closer and press down on his broken arm with my boot. Cal cried out in pain again and as I stepped back he continued to cradle his arm close to his chest.

“I know you’re lying.” I told him. “You have five seconds to tell me what I want to know or I _will_ break something else.” I almost didn’t recognise my own voice. I was unloading all of my anger towards Lilith on this guy and it was scaring the hell out of me.

“I don’t know anything.” Cal said as he continued to whimper over his arm. “I was just paid to stand and guard that door.”

“Five…” I started.

“Please God I don’t know.” He pleaded.

“Four…” I continued.

“Someone help.” He cried.

“Three…”

“Please don’t do this.”

“Two…”

He looked up at me, fear dancing in his eyes.

“One…”

Before I could move, something changed in Cal. His eyes settled, his mouth ceased to quiver and his spine straightened. It threw me for a second until I remembered seeing something like this before. Evil Gandalf had put on a similar act when I first caught up to him at Judd Street Park. It was still unsettling how such subtle changes would turn them into completely different people, but it did at least confirm that he was one of the Fallen. He just glared up at me with such contempt and hatred that I could almost feel it emanating from him.

“You hairless ape.” Cal spat. “You really think you can stop what’s coming?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me what she’s up to and we’ll see.”

My reply made him laugh. “You really don’t know what’s happening do you? Oh you are going to die a painful death, I will make sure of that.”

In a burst of anger I once again put pressure on his broken arm with my boot. Cal didn’t cry out like before but he couldn’t hide the agony as his jaw tensed and his whole body went stiff. After a long five count I stepped back from Cal and he ever so slightly, shagged back against the door frame.

“Let’s pretend that I don’t have time for all your fallen angel posturing crap.” I said with the gun still levelled at his head. “Where has Lilith taken Ellie?”

“To the Gateway.” He growled. “She will bleed that half-breed bitch dry and you will all witness the Fall.”

That statement sent my mind racing. Lilith was planning on killing Ellie, but it wasn’t just that simple. You would only bleed someone if you wanted to perform a ritual and the more blood you needed, the more powerful the spell. So ‘bleeding Ellie dry’ meant that Lilith was about to do something really bad. But why? What was she after?

Revenge.

That’s what Ellie said. She said Lilith wanted revenge on those who cast out, to make them feel her pain. Lilith fell when she was kicked out of the Garden of Eden. Clearly she still held a grudge so wanting to get back at the beings she feels wronged her isn’t a surprise, but to make them feel her pain? In order to do that they would have to…

Oh my God.

That’s what Cal meant by the Fall. Lilith wants to kick the angels out of Heaven. Holy shit.

Cal began to chuckle quietly to himself.

“What’s so funny?” I barked.

“I love seeing the slow light of realisation kindle behind mortal eyes. It always makes me wonder how your species hasn’t killed itself off yet.”

“Well keep wondering arsehole.” I shot back.

“You dare insult me ape.” He snarled as he slowly pushed himself to his feet, using the door frame to help him balance. “I am Focalor. I am the griffon. I will stomp on your dying bones while…”

“Oh shut up.” I interrupted. I reversed my hold on the gun, taking hold of the gun barrel and lashed out bringing the butt of the weapon down on the fallen angel’s head. I caught him off guard and he fell to the floor unconscious. As satisfying as that was I couldn’t just leave him in the doorway; not because he didn’t deserve it but because anyone coming along will see an unconscious man who’s been assaulted and try to help. That way lies emergency services, police investigations and a whole lot of wasted time somewhere down the road. I did however have another idea though.

I picked Focalor up under the arms, dragged him towards the stairs and then let him roll down them. I watched as he tumble unceremoniously down the stairs and collided against the landing wall, bringing him to a stop. Should anyone find him now, this little exercise will help explain away most of his injuries. I just had to hope there wasn’t many people about to have heard him calling out before.

With that matter dealt with I left the stairwell and headed for my flat, retrieving Joe’s bike key on the way. I let myself in and went straight into my bedroom where I reached under my bed and pulled out long black case. I placed the case on my bed, unclipped the latches and opened it. Inside was where I kept some tactical gear which I hadn’t used since the war. As quickly as I could I changed out of my clothing and into a black, long sleeved top and black combat trousers and then slipped into dark tactical vest. The vest was something that I had put together myself; as well offering ballistic protection, I had woven wards into the fabric which also kept me reasonably safe for combat magic. The front of the vest had a sheath which I used to hold Botis’ dagger, it didn’t quite fit but I was able to secure it in place with a buttoned strap. The case also contained a pair of holsters that would fasten around each leg; one I used for my eskrimas and the other for a gun. I strapped the gun holster around my right leg and slotted the Beretta into place. Having lost my primary eskrima during the escape from Lilith’s group I didn’t see much need for the other holster. But without my eskrima what did I have to fight back with.

‘ _Take up the staff_.’ I heard a voice say from the back of my mind.

I moved to the bedroom doorway and looked at the white staff mounted on the wall. It was a powerful tool created by a powerful being, there was no denying it. It helped me survive the final confrontation against the Red Court and it barely had a scratch on it. I felt myself moving towards it…

 

…“Blast it kid, where are you going?” McCoy demanded.

I stopped in the middle of a dark stone corridor, one of the mostly unused tunnels of the White Council’s headquarters, and turned back to face him. The purple-white light shining on the tip on my staff cast the walls and floor into a contrast of light and shade. Standing before me was Ebenezar McCoy, member of the Senior Council and one of the most powerful Wizards on the planet. The sheer destructive force he could unleash upon anyone who had earned his wrath was staggering. I can cause some damage but I had seen this man destroy an ancient Mayan pyramid, a structure that had stood the test of time, with no more effort than you or I put into tying our shoelaces; a feat equal parts awe inspiring and terrifying. But that hadn’t been the only thing I’d seen him do.

He carried a scowl on this face so intense that it threatened to set me on fire.

“Damn it Gabe,” He growled. “Don’t go storming off before I’m done talking to you boy.”

“What the hell do you think you can say to me?” I shot back, my tone equally as heated. “What can you possible say to justify what you did?”

“They were the enemy Gabe.” Ebenezar said

“They were human beings.” I replied. “Mortal men. My god Ebenezar, you killed them. With magic.”

“I acted within my station. I did it to save lives.” He said in conspiratory whisper that still managed to have a growling edge to it. “They were sending a lot of bullets our way. I did what I had to do to keep them from shooting us. A bullet between the eyes can kill a Wizard just as effectively as slinging a spell.”

“You acted within your station?” I said, surprise and disgust shaping my tone in equal parts. “I know I don’t attend many Council meetings, but when was it ruled that the Senior Council could just shit all over the Laws?”

McCoy stared at me quietly seething but I could see the effort he was putting into trying to keep his calm. He let out a sigh and said “The Senior Council can’t. But the Blackstaff can.”

 


	29. Chapter 29

“Blackstaff?” I said looking at him confused. “What the hell is that?”

“The others in our group were already aware of this but events transpired too quickly. I had meant to bring you in long before things went to hell.”

“Bring me into what?” I half demanded.

“You remember me telling you that things were wrong in the Council?” He asked.

“Yeah, right at the start of this mess.” I said. “But things haven’t been right since LaFortier’s murder and Peabody’s attack. What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Well this group…” Ebenezar paused and looked as though he were choosing his next words very carefully. He lowered his tone and said, “We’re planning on doing something to fix it. Peabody’s attack was the breaking point, it was proof that there are those within the Council who are up to no good. The Merlin is choosing to bury the Council’s collective heads in the sand to weed out any talk of conspiracy, that Peabody was just a lone gunman. But all that does is give whoever’s out there a better target to aim at.”

“So what, you’re going to fight conspiracy with conspiracy?” I asked.

“If that’s what it takes.” Ebenezar replied in a hard, flat tone.

I shook my head. This was all too much to take in. The Council has traitors within its ranks? It was completely insane but the more I thought about it, the more things started to add up.

When the Red Court attacked Archangel they had completely circumnavigated the structure’s wards and alarms, which could not have been done without insider knowledge. When Duchess Arianna Ortega came in the guise of peace, not only had they been able to infect a great many deal of Wizard’s with some kind of illness, but they were also able to find their way into one of the most secure areas within the Edinburgh headquarters, steal the Icarus Charm and escape without detection. Coincidence is for the ignorant, there were just too many things happening to ignore.

“Say I buy into this,” I said pushing the whirlwind of conspiracy ideas and their implications aside. “What’s any of this got to do with the fact that you ended human lives with magic? What are you not telling me?”

McCoy sighed before he spoke, again in hushed tones. “Short version, the Senior Council decided long ago that it would be wise to have someone not constricted by the Laws. To have someone who could choose to disobey them if it was deemed necessary and not suffer any backlash from the Council.”

I felt my jaw drop open in shock. Ebenezar had just confessed to being the Council’s unofficial hit man. I stood there in shock, unable to do or say anything for what seemed like a week. The silence was a heavy, smothering thing and I felt like it was going to crush me under its weight.

Just before the silence could last forever, Ebenezar spoke up. “I know what you’re thinking. This is a lot to take in.”

“A lot to take in?” I repeated and it came out on the tides of a laugh that threatened to break into a manic giggle. “We have just survived the mother of all grudge matches. I literally watched the violent extinction of an entire race. Saw the aftermath of whatever foul ritual they were preforming. I witnessed a woman we freed from the cattle cart crush the skull of a Red Court slave with a rock. And now you’re telling me that you’ve got a licence to kill. With all due respect sir, you don’t have a fucking clue what I’m thinking right now.”

Ebenezar’s eyes flashed with anger. “Watch your tone boy.” He said.

Something in his tone made me bite down my next comment. I took a moment to settle my emotions, to clear my head and let some form of calm logic take control.

“How do you honestly expect me to react sir?” I asked, my voice still carrying a little heat. “You know how I feel about the execution of warlocks, the ones too young and ignorant to know better. But I followed orders in accordance of the Laws because that was what I was taught to believe in, that the Laws had to be maintained for the good of everyone.”

I looked straight at Ebenezar but he didn’t say anything. He just stared at me, waiting for me to finish.

“I now find out that the Council, in spite of what it teaches us, created a position that spits in the face of everything we’ve been taught to believe. How am I meant to react?”

The heavy silence returned as I watched Ebenezar. His features were as hard as stone and didn’t give anything away as to what he was thinking. The seconds stretched on and then he let out a weary sigh.

“Listen Gabe,” McCoy spoke up again, this time his words sounded almost reassuring. “There is a Black Council amongst us, regardless what that oaf Langtry says. I am gathering support from those who want to do something about it. You’ve always been someone who fights the good fight, stands up for what you believe in and that is exactly what’s needed. It’s not going to be easy. We don’t know who the slippery bastards are or what their end goal is but what we do know is that they can’t be allowed to achieve it.”

In a truly rare moment, I found myself completely speechless. What was there to say? This was quite literally a conspiracy buffs wet dream. Shadow agents within the Council, everything being kept under wraps and covered up, paranoia running rampant. My thoughts began to spiral out of control. I just wanted to scream and jump off this crazy train and get my life back to when things were simple, when I knew what was expected me. When it was clear who the bad guys were and I could shove a ball of fire down their throats.

A more rational mind would know that it had only been a day since McCoy and his group set us on a collision course with the Red Court.

One day. It already seemed like a lifetime ago. One day and everything I thought I knew had changed. McCoy had never been one to over react, so when he says things are bad we must really be in deep for him to move against it. But if there really was a ‘Black Council’ amongst us then who do we trust? Friends, allies, any one of them could be a mole or worse. Peabody’s attack last year killed several Wizards and compromised hundreds more; who’s to say that next time more lives won’t be lost? Something does need to be done to protect the Council and if it wasn’t willing to protect itself, then someone else would have to do it for them.

But McCoy’s way was dangerous. The thing about fighting fire with fire is that sooner or later everyone gets burned. So what he really needed was maybe someone to protect them from themselves.

“Ok.” I finally said to Ebenezar and he breathed a sigh of relief. “If you need my help, you have it but you have to know that all this cloak and dagger shit could end badly for us.”

“If we stood by and did nothing, ending badly would be the best case scenario.” He told me and I have to be honest, it didn’t fill me with confidence.

“I will help how I can, but you have to tell everything.” I said.

Ebenezar looked at me for a moment, almost as if he was judging if I was worthy for the whole truth.

“Alright kid,” He said after a few seconds and then offered me his hand. “I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

“Good. Where do we start?” I replied, gripping his hand in mine…

 

…The staff felt study in my hand. I let a faction of my will flow into it and the sigils and runes that ran along the white wood glowed with purple light. I took the staff back into my room and retrieved a long nylon strap from the case, tying both ends of the strap to the staff to create a makeshift sling to allow me to carry the weapon on my back.

I was as ready as I was ever going to be. There was nothing left except to make my way to Temple Church and face Lilith.

I left my flat and swiftly made my way down the stairs, passing the still unconscious fallen angel laying in a heed half way between floors. Nobody had found him yet and I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel justified about that fact; let him stay there for as long as it takes. I didn’t pass anyone else as I left the building and walked over to Joe’s bike. Just as I was about to mount the beast my instincts told me I was being watched. My eyes flickered left and right until I noticed three figures walking towards me, intense glares threatening to burn me alive. Abaddon and his flunkies. I took a hold of my staff, lifting the strap over my head and set off to intercept the approaching trio.

“Where is the half-breed?” Abaddon growled as I got near, Lion-O and Goth Girl followed closely behind him. “Give _it_ to us now.”

I was in no mood for them or their demands. I didn’t have time to deal with them and save Ellie.

“You’re not getting anything from me.” I responded in a cold, hard tone. “So back off before you make me angry.”

Lion-O growled at me. I guess he didn’t like my reply. He flexed his fingers, causing them to grow into sharp claws and stalked towards me, deadly intent showing in his eyes. I held my nerve as I gathered my will, shaping it into a spell, waiting for the right moment to strike. When he was only a few paces away I lifted my staff in an upward arch and unleashed my will snarling “ _Vilya!_ ”

A column of air formed and shot straight up catching him on the chin like an upper from the Hulk. He tumbled up into the air and came down hard against the unforgiving pavement. Goth Girl hissed and took a step towards me but I already had my staff trained on her, the end glowing red as I infused it with more of my will.

“Another step and I will end you.” I said, my voice hard. Surprisingly she listened. I turned my attention to Abaddon who continued to glare at me. “You guys are really starting to piss me off.”

“Do you honestly think you stand a chance against the three of us?” He said.

He did have a point. I could take out Goth Girl but that would leave me exposed giving the other two an opening that would not end well for me. The three of them did have me outnumbered. If by some miracle I actually made it pass them, I would still be left outnumbered by Lilith’s crew. Having allies right about now would sure be useful, if only to help take down Lilith…

Then again I wasn’t the only person in this mess with a reason to dislike Lilith.

“Tell me something _Abs_ ,” I said and I actually saw his glare intensify upon hearing me shortening his name. “To open the Gates do you need Ellie alive?”

“You wouldn’t dare hurt her.” He said with a certain amount of seething confidence.

“Just answer the question.” I said taking away some of anger in my voice.

The fallen angel hesitated briefly looking back and forth between his companions. “Yes.” He finally answered.

“Then it looks like we’ve got something in common.” I said nodding my head. I lowered my staff and they gave me a confused look. “Or make that someone. Lilith has her and she’s taken her to the Gateway.”

A low growl bubbled in Abaddon’s throat upon hearing the news.

“She’s going to perform a ritual to make all the angels fall, just like she did.” I continued. “And to do that she’s going to use Ellie’s blood as a power source. We both have completely different reasons for wanting to stop Lilith but the fact of the matter is, we both want to stop her.”

Abaddon continued to glare at me, his expression completely unreadable.

“She has the numbers on us. Alone we could cause some damage but we wouldn’t able to prevent her from completing the ritual. But calling a truce, together we may have a hope of pull this off.”

Goth Girl helped Lion-O back to his feet and Abaddon just continued to stare at me in silence, the intensity of his gaze never wavering.

“I will agree to a truce.” Abaddon finally said. “Until such a time when the half-breed is in my possession. Make no mistake, I will achieve my goal and the half-breed will be mine.”

“I guess we’re just going to have to agree to disagree on that.” I replied.

Just before the tension could mount too high, everything started to darken and all around us there were confused bystanders looking up. I followed their gaze to see that something had started to eclipse the sun. Day became night within a matter of seconds and the city came to a standstill, confusion turning to fear.

“That _bitch_ has begun the ritual.” Abaddon stated.

“Then Ellie doesn’t have much time.” I added as I slung the strap of my staff over my head and settled it on my back. “We need to get moving.”

I went over to Joe’s bike and got it started, the engine rumbling to life; as I saddled the Harley I looked over to find Abaddon and his crew still glaring at me, not moving a muscle.

“I assume you know where the Gateway is?” I asked.

Abaddon nodded his head.

“Then get your arses moving.” I told him as I put the Harley in gear and raced off down the road. Time was of the essence and by the look of things it wasn’t on our side either. I just had to pray that I got to the Gateway before it ran out.

 


	30. Chapter 30

The city had been thrown into chaos. Everyone and everything had come to a halt as people were just staring up at the darkened sky. Stationary cars filled up the roads as drivers stopped to see what was happening and added their confusion and fear to the population. This all made getting to Temple Church that much harder. From my place it would usually take about fifteen minutes despite London traffic but now, I had to weave in and out between abandoned cars, navigate around civilians frozen by the slight of the eclipsed sun and even in some cases drive along the pavements. All in all it added an extra twenty minutes to the journey.

As I pulled up outside the entrance to the church I noticed that the doors had been torn open, wooden splinters littered the ground and just beside them laid two unmoving bodies. I parked the Harley, turning off the engine to let the beast rest and walked over to examine them; one had been badly burnt and the other had had his throat torn out by something with sharp claws. Abaddon and friends were already here.

I moved to stand in front of the entrance and checked my equipment, making sure my weapons were all secure. I readied my staff, holding it tightly in my right hand and took a second to calm my thoughts. Going in all guns blazing would only work for so long, but eventually they would have too many bodies in my way, costing me valuable time and would ultimately keep me from saving Ellie. I needed to set my emotions aside and look at things logically, approach the situation from a tactical stand point. After all I am a soldier, that’s what we do.

If Abaddon and chums had already announced themselves to Lilith’s group then it would be safe to assume that all eyes are on them. That would give me the opportunity to try and sneak in while they had all the attention. But this was Lilith’s end game, she’s too methodical to leave things to chance now; she knew that I wouldn’t stay away, wouldn’t leave Ellie to die at her hands. Lilith would be keeping someone back for when I showed up. It’s what I would do. But then again revenge is anything but logical, it clouds even the most conniving of minds.

I heard a crow squawking and looked around to find Goth Girl standing next to me with a feathered creature sitting on her shoulder. She watched me with cautious eyes, constantly tracking my every movement.

“Thought you’d be inside already?” I said turning my attention back to the church’s entrance.

“Abaddon wanted me to wait for you to arrive.” She told me. Her tone was weary and her body language wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that she didn’t trust me. “Told me not to let you out of my sight in case you were trying to double cross us and make away with the half-breed.”

That made me smile. “I said we should team up to stop Lilith,” I told her. “I didn’t say anything about helping him use her. And the _half-breed_ has a name.”

She scoffed at me. “That matters little. The half-breed will be used to open the Gateway, having a name does not cloud its purpose.”

“You’re a right barrel of laughs you know that?” I said sighing. Trying to win that debate was a pointless endeavour. It would accomplish nothing expect waste what little time there was left. “Well with Abaddon drawing all the attention we need to take advantage of the situation. That means going in quiet, so lose the bird.”

Her eyes narrowed and she did nothing except stare daggers at me to a few seconds. Eventually she whispered something to the crow and it flew off, heading for the top of the church where it landed and settled into place.

“Good, now let’s getting going.” I said as began to head through the entrance and into the church.

Inside the sacred building there was even more evidence that there have been a fight. To the right of the entrance was the church proper, where all the services were held. Columns of black marble rose up from the floor to create a grand archway for the central aisle, with pews lined either side that led to an altar, a table covered by a red velvet cloth, where the priests would deliver their sermons. There were a couple more bodies; one laid in what was left of one of the pews with a hole in his chest, it looked as if his heart had been crushed and another who had been on the receiving end of Abaddon’s fury, smoke still rising from the freshly burnt body.

To the left was where people would come to pay their respects to the Knights Templar who were buried here; several stone carvings were displayed on the ground, each depicting a knight of the Templar order in their final resting place. However in the very centre of the circular structure the floor had been, for a lack of a better description, ripped up. I cautiously walked towards the gaping hole and saw ladders leading down to what looked like an underground tunnel. There was light in the tunnel provided by burning torches and I could hear the faint echoes of what sounded like chanting. To be honest I was expecting there to be more screaming and fighting. Something must have gone wrong, Abaddon and Lion-O should have been causing a lot more noise.

“I don’t like this.” I said aloud to myself. “Goth Girl,” I said as I turned to find the fallen angel once again glaring at me.

“My name is Malpas.” She barked.

“Whatever.” I replied, completely unimpressed by her stare. “I thought Abaddon had gone in swinging. Why is it so quiet down there?”

“I would suggest we go down and find out instead of wasting time asking pointless questions.” She said and started to climb down the ladder.

What a ray of sunshine.

I did a quick check of my equipment again, making sure I still had everything, slung my staff onto my back and cautiously followed the fallen angel down the ladder. Torches hung from the walls intermittently casting the tunnel in an orange light, the shadows flickering as the flames danced back and forth. In the wavering light I could see things engraved into the walls. I took a closer look to see that they were decorated with strange carvings, the likes of which I had never seen before.

“It’s Enochian.” Malpas said as she stood next to me. “The language of the angels.”

The tunnel wall was completely covered in these markings, top to bottom, left to right, every available space had been taken up.

“What does it say?” I asked.

She scanned the wall, eyes quickly flicking back and forth. “This passage is about the Great Balance of Life and Death.”

“You mean the one you and yours are trying to crap all over?” I asked, my tone pointed.

Malpas turned to look at me with flat, dispassionate eyes. “This matter goes far beyond your comprehension.”

“Oh save me the ‘lowly mortal’ bull.” I spat. “You’re trying to fuck things up for the mortal population as much as Lilith is. As far as I’m concerned you both needed to be stopped.”

The fallen angel just stood there, a glare now starting to form on her features. With no warning Malpas took a swing at me, her nails glinting in the torchlight. She was quick, but I had survived fights against faster opponents. I hopped back a step and her blow missed my throat by inches. The force of the attack caused her to spin around and she attempted to come at me again with the backswing. I grabbed her arm and drew the Beretta, levelling it at the back of her head.

“Now I have to admit, I don’t know a lot about the Fallen, but I’m sure a few rounds to the back of the head would put you down just the same.” I growled.

“You would betray us!” Malpas said hotly. “You would try to prevent the Gate from opening. You cannot be trusted.”

“Don’t forget who made the first move.” I responded. “I was just telling you where we stood. You attacked me.”

“You won’t shoot me.” She said turning her head slightly to look back at me. I could see her lips forming into a smirk. “They would hear the gun and hunt you down. You’d be dead within moments.”

“You’re right. But seeing as I can’t rely on you not to stab me in the back first chance you get…” I lashed out with the butt of the gun, hitting Malpas on the back of her neck. The blow stagger her enough that she was unable to react to me slamming her head against the tunnel wall. She fell in an unconscious heap to the floor and I felt a slight pang of guilt; I had been raised to never strike a woman. I knew in my head that the fallen angel was a monster but the body it had taken over was still human.

But that was a moral dilemma for another time when the fate of the world wasn’t, you know, in the balance.

I didn’t have anything on me to restrain her. I just had to hope that the fallen angel would be out for long enough that it wouldn’t cause a problem down the line. I left Malpas in a heap on the floor and cautiously made my way further down the tunnel. As I went I could hear the chanting getting louder; it was a good indication that I was getting closer to Lilith’s end of the world party.

What was worrying me was the fact that I still hadn’t seen any sign of Abaddon. There was no evidence that he had even been down here. It’s safe to say that he is a blunt instrument. If he really hated Lilith as much as he claimed to then Abaddon would have dived in head first and burnt anyone in his path. Something wasn’t right with this, something else was happening here and I think it would be safe to assume that I was on my own.

The tunnel began to slope downwards as I continued on, passing an endless stream of Enochian script carvings. The Council scholars would have a field day down here studying the walls. Maybe one day they may even prove useful in understanding the Four and how they keep coming back again and again.

The passage started to level off and I could see that it led to what looked like a large antechamber. I held myself close to the wall as I approached, trying to use the darkness to keep wondering eyes from noticing me. The chamber was large and round, six pillars rose up to support the high ceiling, three on either side positioned along the curve of the room. Robed figures knelt down, the source of the chanting coming from the deep hoods. There was at least several dozen of them, possibly more, all joining hands and sitting in a perfect circle. They were being used as the magic circle to contain the spell until it was ready. I had never heard of a human circle actually working before but then again I haven’t been around as long as they have. Opposite from me a large door, the likes usually associated with castles, had been carved with great detail into the stone.

I guess that must be the Gateway.

A small group was gathered around an altar in the centre of the cavern. I immediately recognised them as the Fallen; Lilith, Morax, Botis and Evil Gandalf. Opposite them stood Abaddon and Lion-O, their backs were to me but the fact that everyone was still alive didn’t bode well for me.

“I will not let you kill the half-blood!” Abaddon growled. “Hand it over to me and your deaths will be quick.”

Abaddon’s demands drew a delicately upper-class laugh from Lilith. “You are hardly in any position to be barking orders at me Abaddon. I have the Nephilim, I have the numbers and you have nothing.”

A whimper drew my attention to the altar and there I saw Ellie, her wrist and ankles bound by manacles. She was laying helpless between the bickering angels but for the most part she looked unharmed; I guess Lilith didn’t want to take any chances with the ritual.

I became aware that the pace of the chanting had sped up. Performing rituals is as much about the rhythm of the words as it is about the words themselves, the quicker the pace meant that things were progressing and getting closer to completion. I didn’t recognise the language they were using but I knew enough about rituals to know I didn’t have a lot of time left.

“I have more power and you know it.” Abaddon barked. Lion-O started flexing his fingers and the nails elongated into sharp claws. Both Morax and Botis immediately took notice and tensed up, preparing themselves for a fight.

“Come now don’t be petulant.” Lilith said as if she was talking to a child having a tantrum. “There is no way for you to stop what is about to happen. If you even think of taking action, you will be cut down.” Botis took that as a cue to produce a dagger in each hand. They were identical to the blade I had taken out of Joe’s leg and it made me wonder if he had bought them in bulk.

The tension was mounting between them and Ellie was caught right in the middle. Lilith was getting ready to complete her ritual and Abaddon was in no position to stop her. But they didn’t know I was here so I had the element of surprise on my side, I just needed to know where to strike.

The thing about rituals is that whilst they maybe powerful, you’re left completely defenceless because all of your concentration and power is being used on the spell. You take out the one casting it, you stop the ritual. I saw Lilith reaching for a dagger on the altar; it was old, the grip looked brittle but the blade gleamed in the torchlight. Lilith may be the big bad in this standoff but she wasn’t performing the ritual, taking her out wouldn’t disrupt anything. I had to interrupt the human circle, they were the ones reciting the incantation, stopping just one of them would be enough to not only break the circle but also end Lilith’s revenge plot.

I looked down at the hooded circle, their chants continuing at their quickened pace. I needed to break up the circle but I didn’t necessarily want to harm or kill them if I didn’t have to. For all I knew all of these people where here against their will. I had been on the receiving end of Lilith’s mental abilities twice and I only just survived the experience, so it wasn’t too much of a stretch to believe that she could using these people like puppets.

While the angels where distracted by each other I took the opportunity to move closer. I left the tunnel, keeping low and out of their natural line of sight, and motioned towards the first of the pillars on the left side of the antechamber. They continued with their argument which I took as a sign that they hadn’t seen me yet. I peered around the column to find Lilith, with the dagger raised above her head, standing over Ellie who was helplessly struggling against the manacles. The chanting had increased in speed once again, I was running out of time, whatever I was going to do I had to do it soon. Plans and consequences raced through my mind, survival training kicking in and treating me to the fallout of any actions I could make.

“And with this,” Lilith called. “I shall have my vengeance.”

Oh screw it.

I stepped out from behind the pillar, aimed my staff and unleashed my will roaring “ _Vilya!_ ”

All eyes turned to me as a column of air rushed forward sending two of the hooded figures sprawling across the floor, breaking the circle. I felt it as the ritual fell apart, the snapping and tearing of the energies gathered without the circle to keep it together.

Lilith had frozen with tip of the dagger’s blade less than a couple of inches above Ellie’s heart. Ellie lifted her head to try and see what was happening and her eyes lit up as soon as she saw me.

“Gabe.” She cried, a relived smile forming on her lips.

“ _Kill him!_ ” Lilith screamed. “ _I want him dead!_ ”


	31. Chapter 31

Without much warning a spinning blade came hurtling towards me. I managed to will my shield into place and the dagger went tumbling off to the side. Botis growled at me for deflecting the attack and went to throw another blade but Lion-O took this as an opportunity to strike. He leapt at Botis, his claws flashing but despite his supernatural speed Botis was able to avoid the blow. Jumping back a step, Botis lashed out with his blade catching Lion-O on his claws; but instead of there being any blood and cries of pain, sparks flew from where the two met, as if metal had just met metal. The two continued attacking each other, their movements were just a series of blurs too fast for the eye to keep track off.

During this time Morax and Abaddon had locked horns in a test of strength, neither one managing to overpower the other but both landing blows that seemed to shake the area around them.

Guess that just left me with the two mind benders. Great.

Lilith was seething, the look in her eyes was something manic bordering on psychotic. I managed to get my mental defences in place just in time as I felt a sudden wariness try to overcome my thoughts. I looked around to see Evil Gandalf glaring at me with an intensity that I recognised from our first meeting. He was trying to soften me up for the other so they could take me out. I aimed my staff at the floor below him and growled “ _Stolar Spilis!_ ”

The ground beneath him erupted as I called forth a column of stone. He cried out in surprise as my attack sent him flying backwards and instantly his mental presence vanished as I broke his concentration. Gandalf hit the ground with a thud and I immediately set my sights on Lilith.

Around me I could hear confused and frightened voices; whatever hold Lilith had once had on them was clearly starting to crumble. At least that’s what I hoped was happening.

“I gave you a chance to walk away.” She said, her blue eyes cold and hard much like her tone. “A chance to be with the ones you care for.”

“You mean a chance to ignore you killing an innocent girl and bring fire raining down from the sky?” I replied. “I know happens when an angel falls Lilith. The destruction it causes as it passes through this world.” The voices from the hooded figures were beginning to quieten down which I didn’t like. I began drawing in my will, readying it as I continued. “Just one can destroy a town, do you honestly expect me to sit back and let you bring down the whole flock?”

“It doesn’t matter.” She answered and nodded her head at a hood figure to my right. He cried out and leaped at me, but I was able to side step the attack, sending him a few steps past me. As he turned back to face me I caught him on the chin with the end of my staff which sent him into a spiral, landing in a groaning heap on the floor. Another figure came at me from behind, wildly swinging his arms at me but I managed to duck under his blow, turn and drive the edge of my staff into his gut causing him to double over in pain. As I rose, I shifted my grip on the staff, span on my heel and connected with the figure’s face as I swung the staff upwards.

Two more hoods came running at me from the other side of the circle, both screaming like fanatics. Meanwhile Lilith had once again turned her focus to Ellie and was removing her from the altar. She was making a break for it and was just going to keep throwing these guys at me unless I changed the tempo.

I started to swing the staff above my head in big sweeping circles, taking the will I had gathered to shape it into a spell. “ _Cyl’nan Vilya!_ ” I roared as I released my power and the air around us began to move instantly. With each rotation of my staff the air circling around us picked up speed, turning the antechamber into a giant wind machine. The two hoods charging towards me staggered as their pace was interrupted, being unable to stable themselves as the wind continue to assault them. Lilith began to struggle in her task of detaching Ellie’s restraints from the altar whilst Botis and Lion-O’s grudge match came to a halt, the both of them trying to secure their footing. Abaddon and Morax however continued their fight like nothing was happening.

Ellie’s leg were free but not her wrists, they were still secured to the altar. I could see a set of keys in Lilith’s hands; if I was going to free Ellie I would be needing those. Lilith was struggling to keep her footing but at the same time I could see a level of concentration on her face that told me she preparing a counter spell. If I gave her the chance pull it off, I could lose any and all momentum I had going for me. I put more force into each swing of my staff as well as adding a little more of my will into the spell; as the twister’s speed increased all of the hooded figures were desperately trying to hold onto something, save for the couple who had attacked me who had begun to slide along the floor. Lion-O had sunk his claws into the stone floor whilst Botis positioned himself behind a pillar, using it as cover against my magic. Lilith continued working on her counter but it was clear that the wind was making things difficult for her.

One of the hoods lost his grip and was caught up in the cyclone, sending him flying up into the air. His path sent him tumbling towards Lilith and the fallen angel had very little time to react. She slashed her hand in the air and saw a fraction of my spell move, the wind stream re-directing the hoods’ trajectory away from her. However by doing that whatever defence Lilith had put in place vanished. She screamed in frustration as the twister robbed her of her footing and sent her tumbling to the floor. In that instant I saw the keys fall from Lilith’s hand and I knew that I wouldn’t get a better chance of getting Ellie out of here.

As soon as I saw the keys fall, I dropped the spell and ran towards them. The wind continued to run its course but without my spell moving it, it was slowly losing its momentum. I sprinted towards the altar, bracing myself against the dying twister and quickly retrieved the keys from the ground. Everyone was already starting to gather themselves so I knew I wouldn’t have long to free Ellie. I began trying the keys, testing them in the manacles lock desperately trying to find the right one. On the third key there was an inspiring _clack_ as it turned in the lock and the manacles sprang open. Ellie frantically threw the things away and immediately blue markings started to alight on her skin. She looked at me, her eyes completely white, and smiled filling me with a sense of warmth and a feeling of strength, like I was ready to take on anybody. With the way things were going it was something I needed. But after a moment her eyes widened.

“Gabe look out!” She cried. I turned to find Botis charging at me with daggers in hand. I was able to dodge one swipe but the second scored on my left arm. The cut wasn’t deep but the sharp pain sent a tingling sensation down my arm. Botis pressed his attacked, his blades flicking left and right. I was able to get my staff between us and deflect the blows but I was doing everything I could just to keep up with him.

I swept my staff at him but he nimbly ducked up the strike. As I presented my back to him, Botis struck me on the back of my leg causing me to cry out and my leg to buckle, bringing me down to one knee. My instinct was to get my staff up as quickly as possible and no sooner as I held my staff horizontally above my head, Botis came baring down at me with both daggers. I struggled to keep his blades from advancing towards me; he had the leverage and was pushing down with all of this weight. I was at the wrong angle to perform any successful counter moves and the closer he got, the more limited my options became. I looked up to see Botis glowering down at me with murderous intent in his eyes.

Suddenly a pair of manacles crashed into the side of this head causing him to call out in pain. Stunned, Botis lost his footing and I was able to push him away. I rose to my feet and lashed out with my staff catching him once on the same side of his head, sending him rolling to the ground. I looked over to find Ellie standing there with a set of manacles in her hand. The markings on her skin were as bright as I had ever seen them and they seemed to be pulsing.

“Guess I owe you one now.” I said with a fierce grin on my face.

“Just paying back the favour.” Ellie replied “Besides I think you’ve saved me twice now already.”

“Don’t worry, the fights not over yet.” I added. “You may still get your chance to even the score.”

Botis roared as he came at us, lunging forward with his daggers. Ellie jumped back as I swept my staff to the left, deflecting his attack. Botis however was quick alter his course and span with the manoeuvre, giving him the chance to strike with the backswing of the dagger in his right hand. I was able to roll with the motion and narrowly avoid being skewered by his blade. Botis continued to slash at me with his daggers and I could do nothing but try to defend myself as blow after blow came at me. As I dodged one swipe Botis caught me off balance with another kick to the back of my leg, sending me down to the ground and causing me to drop my staff.

Seeing that I was vulnerable Ellie took another swing with the manacles but Botis was prepare for it; he dropped a dagger, freeing up his left hand and managed to catch the chains. She struggled against him trying to pull her makeshift weapon free but Botis was too strong and instead pulled her closer to him. With a one yank he pulled Ellie towards him, causing her to stumble forward. He grabbed her by the hair and wrenched it backwards, revealing Ellie’s vulnerable throat.

“You shall bleed.” He growled. “And then all shall know our suffering.” He placed the blade of his dagger up against the pale skin of her neck.

“Yo fuck-knuckle!” I called before Botis could make good on his threat.

He turned his head just in time to see me as I plunge his own dagger, the one he had used to hurt my friend, into his left eye. I put all of my weight behind the attack and the blade sank right into his skull, destroying his eye. Blood leaked slowly down from the wound. His remaining eye stared back at me in shock, but I was quick not to focus on returning it. Besides I didn’t need a soulgaze to know what was running through his mind right now; the surprise of what had just happened, disbelief in that he could fall in battle least of all to a mere mortal. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end for him, or how he saw it coming at any rate.

Botis staggered back, his numbing fingers losing their grip of Ellie’s hair. She pulled herself free and stood at my side. I could see a red line across her throat and the slightest traces of blood but nothing serious. His legs finally gave out of him and Botis fell to the floor, lifeless. Then suddenly right before our eye the body started to decay rapidly, going from physical specimen to a withered old man in the blink of an eye. After another second the body was nothing more than a pile of dust. Botis had clearly been keeping his host body alive for far longer than a human body should for it to have done that. It meant that he ever found another host and decided he wanted payback, I would never see him coming.

But that was a problem for another time. Provided we survived our current ones.

One fallen angel down, way too many left to go.

 


	32. Chapter 32

Someone let out a bestial roar which drew our attention. Morax was coming at us like a freight train at full speed, huge and impossibly fast. I managed to push Ellie to the side and pull enough of my will together to form a shield just in time as he swung one of his giant fists at us. The impact was tremendous and I wasn’t able to create a fully stable barrier resulting in me being sent flying back a couple of feet and colliding against a pillar. Pain flared through my body as I hit the unforgiving stone. The force of the collision made me bounce off the pillar and onto the floor. However there was no time to recover as Morax came stomping over, fists held over head like two ginormous clubs. I was only just able to roll out of the way as he brought both fists crashing down against ground, cracks and fissures spreading out from the point of impact. I scramble back to my feet just as Morax took another swing. This time I was able to dodge the blow and it left him exposed and unbalanced. I landed a couple of jabs to his side but if he felt them it didn’t show. Morax let out another roar as he once again attempted to pulverise me with his huge fists. I avoided the blow and back away a few paces, opting for a change in tactic.

Trying to fight up close with Morax was a sure-fire way of getting myself killed. I needed to keep my distance from him, to try and stay out of his reach but I was already starting to feel my body slowing down; everything that had happened over the last few days was finally catching up with me and longer this went on the more likely I was to make a fatal mistake.

My mind was racing but it was still clear enough for me to dissect the situation.

Morax is a threat because of his strength, he is a full on power house but it’s his speed that gives him the advantage. If I was able to slow him down I might stand a chance.

He charged towards me again but this time I wasn’t going to let him get close. I drew the Beretta from its holster and aimed at Morax’s right leg. I squeezed the trigger and the gun barked, the noise echoed throughout the chamber which caused my ears to ring. It was worth it though as the bullet hit just above his knee. Morax stumble a step or two but it didn’t seem to slow him down any. I lined up another shot and hit him on his left thigh; again it staggered him but he wasn’t stopping. Throwing caution to the wind I fired several more rounds, a couple at his legs while I sent the rest at his torso. Every bullet hit its target but I only succeeded in pissing him off. He charged towards me enraged as I tried to fire off another shot but it was too late, he was too close.

He batted the gun aside, clamped an enormous hand around my throat and effortlessly lifted me off the ground. I had a sickening sense of Déjà vu as I kicked my legs uselessly against his mass.

“Long past time I crushed you Wizard!” Morax rumbled with seething hatred as his grip tightened. I was losing air fast but nothing I did had any effect. My lungs burned and my body was struggling to do what I wanted, I was completely helpless against the pure strength of the fallen angel.

“Let him go!” Ellie called, resonating with a dual voice. My vision was fading but I could clearly see Ellie standing to one side, the markings on her body blazing in the dim light of the cavern.

On any other occasion I would have attributed what happened next to the lack of oxygen doing funny things to my brain. The light began to shimmer and ripple down Ellie’s right arm and seemed to be gathering, stretching around her hand, trying to form a shape of some kind. Suddenly in a flash the blue-white light shot out several inches, the end continuing to grow until it began to shape itself into the head of a giant double headed axe; the light made the curved edges of each blade look sharp enough to cut through anything.

Ellie took a hold of the shift in both hands and rushed towards us, dragging the weapon behind her. Morax went to hit her, taking a swing with one of his wrecking ball like fists, but Ellie was moving a lot faster now, supernaturally fast and ducked under the blow with ease. Once she had avoided the attack, Ellie span on her heels swinging her axe in an upward arch and it cleaved right through the arm choking me like butter. Morax called out in pain as the weapon of holy light blazed through his skin, parting it just above the elbow from the rest of his body. I fell to the ground with the remains still tightly clamped around my throat, but without Morax’s malicious will guiding it, it didn’t take me long to get free.

I have been nearly choked to death far too many times over the past few years for my liking. I think it’s high time I tried to break that particular cycle.

Morax staggered back a few steps clutching at the stump that used to be his left arm. The confusion on his face spoke volumes; he didn’t know how to react to what had just happened, whether to be angry at us for hurting him or scared by the fact that we _had_ just hurt him. I turned to look at Ellie in amazement as she stood beside me once again.

“How…” I croaked. My throat stung as I tried to speak, it was dry and sore after my rematch with Morax but I struggled on with my words. “How did you do that?”

“I can harness the power of creation.” Ellie answered in her resonating voice. She turned her head to look at me and smiled. “You’re guess is as good as mine. I just know that I can.”

I returned her smile with a fierce one of my own. “Then let’s finish this arsehole off.”

“I will crush you both!” Morax bellowed, his rage finally winning the driving seat and stomped toward us.

I led the charge with Ellie following closely behind. Morax swung his remaining arm and I ducked beneath the blow with a grace and agility that you can only achieve in a high adrenaline situation. I twisted as I went, leaving me facing his exposed back and gathered in my will, focusing once more on the air around me. I snarled “ _Vilya!_ ” and the air congealed around my fist, enforcing my strike as I connected with the back of his already bullet damaged leg. Morax cried out in pain as he stumbled forward. As he fell Ellie was right there to meet him with her weapon, now resembling a giant war hammer, and smashed it against the side of Morax’s head. He crumpled to the floor like a giant sack of bricks being dropped from a crane.

Ellie backed off quickly, moving to stand beside me as Morax tried to rise to his feet. His body was in ruins, blood poured from several bullet holes, the left arm was no longer there and his head was half caved in. Sounds rumbled to the surface as he tried to move what was left of his mouth.

“Why won’t this guy stay down?” I complained.

Just then a crimson comet flew in and consumed Morax. The mass of Hellfire engulfed the fallen angel and he screamed out in pain, the noise echoing around the chamber, the walls amplifying the horrific sounds. It was a sickening display, watching the fire devour what was left of Morax’s body but I just couldn’t seem to drag my eyes away. All the pain and torment he had inflicted on me, it was almost poetic that he suffered the same fate. Personally I just wanted to make sure the bastard died and stayed that way.

The charred remains of Morax fell to the ground, unmoving as the flames continued to eat away at him. Abaddon stepped forward followed closely about Lion-O and Malpas, who glared daggers at me. I’m guessing she was feeling a little sore about me leaving her unconscious. I walked over to retrieve my staff and all the while Ellie remained at my side, neither of us taking our eyes off the group of fallen angels.

“Thanks for joining in.” I said not even trying to hide my annoyance. “What were you waiting for? To see who killed who first?”

“Where is the whore?” Abaddon demanded, completely ignoring my question. He was referring to Lilith. I looked around the chamber; hooded figures laid either groaning or unconscious, scattered across the floor but there was no sign of Lilith or Evil Gandalf. They must have realised their plans were in ruins and escaped while we were all distracted. Loosing track of her is going to cost me somewhere down the line, but as annoying as that will be it’s just something I will have to deal with when the time comes. Besides it looked like we still had more immediate problems here to deal with first.

“She fled.” Ellie said, her voice still resonating. “But then you already knew that. You saw her run away and did nothing.” Abaddon fixed his intense gaze upon Ellie and let out a low level growl.

“Oh I get it,” I said putting two and two together. “You figured by letting Lilith go, you’d save yourself the hassle of having to deal with her and it’ll give you a free shot at opening the Gate.” I received nothing but a glare and a growl in response. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“The Gate will be opened.” Abaddon said with an intense certainty. His voice echoed around the cavern and a sudden sensation hit me; it was terror, sheer gut wrenching terror, the kind that twists your insides and grinds your bones until you’re nothing but a quivering heap on the floor.

It staggered me a little and had to lean on my staff to stay upright. The feeling was coming from behind me and when I turned to look I saw the Gateway standing over me, looming over those who dared to grace its threshold. Terror and fear radiated from the stone doorway and it was almost oppressive, I couldn’t think of or feel anything else other than the eternal torment on the other side and what happens to this world should the Gate be opened. But despite all of that I felt myself being drawn towards it, a sense of curiosity pulling me on and a need to find out exactly what was on the other side, locked away for a time beyond counting. It was drawing me in, eating at my mind, wanting me to open the path and crossover. The sense of longing was overwhelming. It wanted me to open the way, it needed me to and I was wanting the same thing.

A hand reached out and touched my shoulder. I felt a warming light seep into my soul and suddenly everything was clear once more. I turned to see Ellie standing next to me, the light of her markings washing over me, cleansing me of all external influences and compulsions but that didn’t change one very scary fact; the Gateway had a will of its own. A terrifying and malevolent will that could recognise that there where those here who shared in its desire to be opened. I turned back and saw Abaddon glaring at me with a self-assured smirk on his face.

“You sense the truth now Wizard. The Gate will be opened. It must.”

I looked again at Ellie standing by my side, her eyes were completely white but I could still understand the steadiness of her gaze. She gave me a very slight nod, she was going to stay with me through until the end, no matter what happened next I knew I wasn’t alone and that we’d see it through together.

I straightened my back, the runes on my staff blazing with purple light as I gathered my will and stood my ground, placing myself between Abaddon and his target.

“Then you’re going to have to go through me.”

 


	33. Chapter 33

Without warning Abaddon hurled a stream of Hellfire towards us. I was preparing a counter attack when Ellie stepped out in front of me, her palms facing outwards. Her holy light swelled out in front of us to form a large, curved dome shape. The fire hit the barrier and the resulting detonation seemed to spiral off around us. The force of Abaddon’s attack was powerful and Ellie slid a couple of inches across the floor but I was at her back to support her.

“Drop the shield.” I told her.

“What?” Ellie asked, confusion event in her voice.

“Trust me, we won’t win matching strength for strength. The best we can do is redirect their attacks.” Ellie looked at me for a second longer before nodding her head. “Good. As soon as you drop the shield, get out of the way but be ready to reform it when I tell you.”

She nodded her head again and I took a couple of steps back. I gathered in my will and began to whirl my staff above me as I did. I had already used a similar spell to disrupt Abaddon’s magic before but this time, with my staff in hand, I was going to turn his attack against them. I nodded to Ellie and just as I had asked, she released the shield and dropped to the ground, rolling to one side as the Hellfire streaked passed her. With the barrier down I could see Lion-O and Malpas charging towards us from either side; seems Abaddon planned to bog us down while the other two flanked us. With a wolfish smile on my face I unleashed my spell, roaring “ _Cyl’nan, Vilnal’qius!_ ”

An artic wind erupted before me, spiralling toward the roof of the cavern. Abaddon’s Hellfire met my cyclone once again and the results were even more destructive than before. Superheated and polar air clashed within the twister causing steam to form and spread. Last time I simply redirected Abaddon’s attack but this time I had added a freezing element to my spell; not only would it counter the Hellfire but within the twister things were getting very cold, like sub-zero cold, which meant that once it had mixed with the fire the resulting steam would be hot enough to burn anything caught up in it.

The steam was rapidly building and spreading as the two spells interacted with one another. It was my hope that it would hinder our would-be flankers just enough to buy us some time. I saw the heated mist engulf them but once they were out of sight I just had to have faith that my plan was working as I couldn’t hear much of anything over the noise of clashing elements.

“Ellie get ready.” I cried as I released my concentration over whirlwind. Before the wind could fully die down, I reached out to the steam closest to the eye of the storm. “Now. _Niquis!_ ”

The mist around the twister froze as my spell took hold but the velocity as it continued to spin was too great which caused the mass to break apart and splinter. Shards of solid ice were sent flying with a loud crash. I shagged down to my knees, exhaustion creeping its way through my legs, causing me to fall. Ellie, right on cue, stepped out in front of me and once again formed a shield of holy light. Ice crashed against the barrier as soon as she had it place, each impact driving her back an inch or two across the floor. I tried to get back to my feet, using my staff for leverage, but everything had now caught up with me. I was on the edge of collapse but now wasn’t the time for giving in to limitations. We weren’t safe yet, I still had a job to do and I was not going to let some jacked-up bullies wreck the world while I could still breathe.

I pushed myself to my feet and joined Ellie. I steadied her and held up my left hand in a defensive gesture, summing my will to form a shield to protect us. The two barriers blended together as the purple light of my magic joined with her angelic blue-white light. I felt a warmth and a sense of assurance as I stood with Ellie and it seemed to melt away all the weariness in my body. There was a harmony to our magic that just seemed to make everything, all the troubles and worries and doubt and fear, make all of it not seem like such a burden. That together we could weather any storm.

As the tornado died down we lowered our protection to observe the aftermath. Ice was scattered everywhere, the steam had all but evaporated without either spell fuelling it and everything appeared quiet, like the calm that follows a storm. Movement registered in my peripheral vision, I looked to my left and saw Lion-O laying on his side; his skin was red and covered in blisters, his clothes had been badly shredded and several bloody icicles were protruding from his body, three of which had hit him centre mass. He coughed up blood as he tried and failed to catch his breath, his body ruined by the outcome of a violent clash of magic. I caught his attention and, despite all the damage that had been done, he still tried to move towards us, using his arm in a feeble attempt to pull himself along the ground.

It was almost sad that even in his final moments, the fallen angel I called Lion-O had nothing left other than his anger and rage. And with that wretched realisation, he let out his final ragged breath.

A noise drew our attention towards to the other side of the chamber were we saw Malpas shuffling toward us, her left leg dragging uselessly behind her with a large spear of ice running through it. She had been impaled by several other icicles across her body; one to her right shoulder causing the arm to hang lifelessly by her side, numerous smaller spikes had lacerated her chest, arms and face and then I saw her left hand was press over a wound on her abdomen. Blood well up beneath Malpas’ hand and had soaked through her tee-shirt, her hand was painted red as she tried to slow the bleeding but it looked like a futile gesture at best. There was a determination in her eyes, she knew this was the end for her but she wasn’t going to go quietly; she wanted to, needed to follow through on their plan before it was over. It was all or nothing. Malpas only made it a few more steps before her good leg finally gave out on her, causing her to stumble and collapse to the ground. But even then she wouldn’t give up as she began to pull herself along with her arm, her defiance burning brightly.

Ellie slowly walked towards Malpas and knelt down beside her. Malpas rolled onto her back and just glared at Ellie with all the rage she could muster.

“Shhh,” Ellie said softly, her voice still carrying that dual tone. “There is nothing more you can do. Be at peace now.”

She placed her hand on Malpas’ forehead and her markings began to glow and ripple over the fallen angel. Malpas went stiff for a moment, almost as if she was resenting being touched by Ellie, but soon all of her anger started to drain away and she grew still until eventually she stopped moving. Ellie rose to her feet and stepped back to join me. I looked down at Malpas and saw that the fallen angel had passed on peacefully, a calm expression touching the edges of her eyes and mouth; at the end there was no more pain, no more anger, Ellie had helped her move past those ‘scars’ so she could at last know a sense of serenity.

A loud roar snapped our attention towards the furthest end of the chamber. Abaddon stepped forward, crimson Hellfire raging all over his body, anger deeply set in his eyes.

“The Gate will be opened.” He bellowed once more taking steady strides towards us. “I will not be denied my prize.”

Through the flame I could see that Abaddon had been hurt by the ice explosion. There were cuts and abrasions all over this body, a few bloody wounds where the ice had obviously melted away from the Hellfire but if he was hurting he was doing a good job of hiding it. If anything he just looked pissed.

“It’s over Abaddon.” I called out in reply.

I didn’t know how much fight I had left in me. I had used some of my more powerful spells just to make it to this point and Ellie was still discovering her limits; don’t get me wrong what she can do is amazing and everyone was clearly surprised by it but that was something she didn’t having going for her anymore. Abaddon was becoming aware of what Ellie was capable of. He had been waging wars for God knows how long and she was still very new at this, between the two of us we had about a fifty percent chance of walking away from this encounter.

“Your partners are dead,” I continued. The best I could do right now was to try and bluff our way out of this. If nothing else, it’ll at least give us both a little breathing room. “You’re on your own against a Warden of the White Council and a being that even the armies of Heaven _and_ Hell couldn’t overcome. You’ve been around long enough to know the odds are not in your favour.”

To my surprise it looked like he actually started to think about that.

It was just wishful thinking.

He let out another bestial roar, hurling a globe of Hellfire in our direction. Neither of us reacted quick enough to avoid the attack. I managed to form a weak shield and angled it but again it was just too powerful. By angling my shield, I was able to deflect the fireball upwards towards the ceiling but the sheer force of the attack was enough to take me off my feet, driving my back to come crashing down on my arse. I tried to roll into it in the hopes of controlling my landing but it still hurt like, well, Hell. Ellie finally kicked into action, the luminescent markings on her arms swelling to form two slender long swords. Abaddon threw another ball of Hellfire our way but Ellie stood firm.

“Ellie get out of the way.” I called. She either didn’t hear me or was in the zone or something because she didn’t move.

The sphere of fire ate up the short distance and only at the last second did Ellie make her move. With a motion that looked far too practiced, she slashed at the Abaddon’s Hellfire with one of her blades and cleaved the thing in half. The two sections just fizzled out into nothingness, as if the power controlling it had been severed and there was nothing holding it together anymore.

Abaddon looked just as surprised as me by Ellie’s actions which struck me as odd. Abaddon is as old as they come, he’s led the forces of Hell for literary ever, he must have been there when The Four originally debuted. Surely he knows what a Nephilim is capable of. I was missing something, some important detail. I know he wants to open the Gate; he’s continually said as much but why? Why does he want to open the Gate? Abaddon said it would lead him to his true goal. But what’s that? The only thing he has ever really shown me is that his main focus was on opening the Gate, it’s what was driving him…

A sudden sensation fell over me as I remembered something. The feeling I had when I stood in front of and truly noticed the Gate for the first time was overwhelming, it drew me in, forced its own desires upon me until I wanted nothing but to open the lock...

That’s it.

“Abaddon listen to me.” I cried. He launched after ball of Hellfire my way but I was able to avoid it, rolling beneath it. He had almost become feral in his anger, acting nothing like a being who has lived since before creation. “Tell me Abaddon, what is your plan?”

“To open the Gates of Hell.” He roared.

“But why?” I called back. “Why do you want to open them?”

“It will lead me to my true goal.” He said, repeating himself.

“And what _is_ your true goal?” I asked as I continued to push him for information. Before Malpas had cut him off, without her around I was hoping my wager would pay off.

“My goal is to…my goal is to…to…” Abaddon was starting to stammer. He shook his head a couple of times as if to clear away the cobwebs. “The Gate must be opened.” He finally called.

“I know you want the Gate open Abaddon, but what you haven’t told me is why? You say it’ll lead you to your true goal but I don’t think you even know what that is, do you?”

And right then I saw something in him break. He continued to shake his head and the flames around him started to die down. “Must open the Gate.” He mumbled.

“And that’s exactly what it wants you to do.” I stated seeing my opening. “You asked me before if I saw the truth, well now I do. The Four managed to close the Gate and seal away the forces of Hell but what they didn’t realise was the pressure of those trapped behind it would cause.

“You see those who were trapped never stopped trying to get out. Century after century, those things continued to try and claw their way out, each of them with the same desire, the Gate must be opened.”

It was hard to tell if I was getting through to him or not but the flames surrounding his body had all but faded away. Clearly there was some form of conflict happening within himself. While he tried to get his head on straight I took the opportunity to draw level with Ellie and stand beside her.

“Eventually their wants, their needs began to take on a presence, a will of its own.” I continued. “You take that growing presence and you let it fester for millions and millions of years until it is driven to madness where it can think of nothing else but freedom.”

Abaddon was getting more and more agitated the longer I continued to talk. I was getting through to him and whatever influence the Gate was having was beginning to crumble.

“That kind of psychic backlash will overcome anyone who gets close to it. The Four couldn’t fathom this because they’re not susceptible to it but you, as one of the Fallen you have lost your divinity, you had no protection against its pull. It has taken over everything you know and replaced it with its own needs.”

I was tipping Abaddon over the edge as he wrestled with himself, trying to free his mind from the Gate’s hold. He lashed out striking one of the stone pillars with his fist. The blow was hard enough that it sent cracks ripping up the column and shaking dust and debris free from the ceiling. They were load bearing. If Abaddon was going to lay into us again it was going to be savage. We would need a way to put him down quickly.

Whilst he was distracted, I got Ellie’s attention and nodded to the adjacent pillar. “When I tell you, we give everything we’ve got and take it down.” Ellie gave me a quick bow of her head to tell me she would follow my lead. I turned my attention back to Abaddon who was still raging.

“Face it Abaddon, you are nothing but a slave to this thing.” I called getting his focus back on me. He didn’t seem to know who he needed to be more furious at, me for calling him out, the Gate for pulling his strings or himself for falling under its sway.

Time to put the final nail in the coffin.

“Abaddon, the Destroyer. General to the armies of Hell and you’re reduced to nothing more than a puppet.”

That was the last straw. With a bellow of pure fury Abaddon once again struck the pillar. An explosion of Hellfire sent shockwaves through the column and stone began to crumble before him. As soon as the support started to fall I saw that the roof had become unstable. This was our chance.

“Now Ellie!” I called. I had barely even finished saying the first word before Ellie shot off at supernatural speed.

The lights of her markings stretched out and dragged behind her like two long whips. She built up momentum before spinning and lashing out, each whip reaching out like vines until they both sheered straight through the stone, once at the top and the other striking the middle. Ellie didn’t stop there as she followed the spin through and again whipped the strands of light this time cutting into the pillar at its base and overlapping her previous strike through the centre.

Ellie had seriously compromised the columns integrity. The precision of her attacks had left it standing but the pillar was merely balancing the weight instead of supporting it, if I hit it with enough force then the whole thing would come down. When Ellie had raced off I began summoning every bit of magic I had left, all the will I could muster to shape it into one final spell. All my anger, all my fear, all my frustration, I put all of my emotions in to fuel my power. As soon as Ellie was clear I thrusted my staff forward towards the pillar and unleashed my will shouting, “ _Runya!_ ”

Fire shot forth from the end of my staff and illuminated the cavern in a bright orange light. Everything I had went into the blast and it showed as soon as it impacted with the pillar and exploded. The shot hit dead centre at its weakest point and the resulting detonation was enough to break stone and bring the whole thing crashing down around Abaddon. With both supports down the whole area had become unstable, the roof was starting to cave in on itself and soon we were all going to be buried under several tons of rock and stone.

Too bad I was in no shape to be running away.

I slumped down to my knees after I had casted my spell completely exhausted. I had stopped Lilith preforming her ritual and sacrificing Ellie. I had prevented the Gates of Hell from being opened and unleashing unspeakable horrors upon the world. I had saved the day and given my all. There was nothing more I could do and I was ok with that. I was just being a Warden fulfilling his promise.

Suddenly I felt a soothing presence trying to lift me up under my arms. I looked around to see Ellie trying to haul me to my feet, to get me moving and away to safety. She positioned herself under my arm, allowing me to lean on her for support and slowly got us moving. The whole place was coming down, I turned to see if I could spot Abaddon but that area was completely buried under the falling debris. The Hell Gate was half covered in rubble but even as we made our escape I could still feel its malevolent presence, its overbearing resolve to be opened. Instinctively I turned my head away and focused on getting out alive, wanting to put as much distance between us as possible.

With nothing left for us here, I put my trust in Ellie as she helped me escape the cavern and back to the surface.

 


	34. Chapter 34

Most of my memories following our escape of Temple Church were a bit hazy. I vaguely remembered feeling the sun on my face before things started to get really fuzzy.

I woke up and found myself lying on the bed in one of Joe’s spare rooms. I sat up slowly and could feel the fresh bandages around my waist and left bicep. I guess my activities may have been a little over strenuous but it was all for a good cause. The world was still turning so I could take a lot of comfort in knowing that my bumps and bruises were worth it.

Clean clothes had been laid out on the chair over by the window with my boots resting on the floor. As great as the bed felt, I thought it was about time I got moving and dressed. I wrestled myself out of the marshmallow bed, padded over to the chair and inspected my clothing options. I say options, there was only a pair dark blue denim jeans and a light grey top with long dark grey sleeves; but hey, at least they were clean.

I was feeling the best I had felt since this whole thing began. I felt rested and strong, ready to take on the world if I had to. It was enough to make me smile and I liked it.

I got dressed, put on my boots and left the room. When I opened the door I could hear talking and laughter coming from down stairs. Three voices; one male and two females. It must be Joe, Ellie and Louise. It sounded good to hear after recent events, it sounded full of promise and hope. Instinctively it brought another smile to my face.

After a moment of listening to the sounds I finally started down the stairs to join my friends. As I reached the bottom the voices drifted down the hallway from the living room. The closer I got the more distinct the voices became; I could hear Louise talking about when she was a young police constable and had to do the bar crawl shift in Convent Garden. I opened the door to find everyone sitting on garden furniture around a makeshift table. Louise was sitting with her back to me, hair back in a ponytail dressed in her work attire. Ellie was sitting to the left, her red hair tide up in a similar fashion wearing a short sleeved top and jeans that I recognised as having belonged to Louise. Joe sat opposite the door and I noticed a wooden cane resting against his chair. He was quick to notice me and nodded in my direction. The girls turned their heads, smiles beaming from both their faces.

“Gabe!” Louise exclaimed, jumping out for her chair. “I’m so glad you woke up.” There was genuine joy and relief in her voice as she spoke. She moved closer and wrapped her arms around me in a big hug. I returned it with equal enthusiasm.

“Good to finally see you up and about.” Joe said as he limped towards me, using the cane to balance him.

“That goes for me too.” Ellie added as she stood up and joined us.

As much as it meant to receive that kind of welcome, it did leave me a little confused.

“It’s great to see you all too.” I said back to them. “But, er…how long have I been out?”

 

Turns out I had been unconscious for about a week. As Ellie tells it we managed to escape Temple Church in one piece, relatively speaking. Once we had made it outside I apparently mumbled something along the lines of ‘yay the sun is back’ and passed out soon after. Ellie went on to say that we were greeted by a team of Wardens with instructions to bring me back to Joe’s place were a skilled medic was waiting. Said medic turned out to be Joe’s wife Rachel who had been called back from her weekend plans with their daughter. Joe clarified that before he was taken away by the paramedics he gave Louise the Warden Hotline number, he told her the counter phrases to get them to listen and the code warning for immediate Warden response. Despite Marcus’ ramblings and him trying to shun me they apparently sprung to action, or at least that’s how Louise described their reaction over the phone. She later joined Joe at the hospital and waited with him while he got patched up.

To my relief the cane was only temporary; with enough physio and exercise Joe would be back to his usual fully functioning self in no time. When I had first seen him with the walking aid I couldn’t help but feel responsible. Joe got hurt because I had dragged him into my craziness, it was hard not to feel guilty. When I told Joe how I felt he was quick to hit me with the cane and tell me to stop being so stupid. It hurt a little but it was good to know he didn’t think any less of me.

Turns out I also missed a summons from Captain Luccio and the Senior Council. After our eventful trip to Council HQ, Marcus apparently demanded that action should be taken against me for disobeying orders and resisting arrest. Marcus and his lapdogs, the ones I ‘savagely attacked’ (Joe even did the quoting mime with his hands as he said the words) made a case to try and have me executed, claiming that I was a persistent and uncontrollable threat to the security and safety of the Council. Understandably such a serious charge meant that a full investigation was carried out and every Wizard and Warden present was questioned. With me being somewhat unavailable, Joe represented me at the proceedings and he took great joy in telling me that Marcus had a fit that I hadn’t shown up only to be put in his place by him, Rachel and the team of Wardens who extracted me. The team spoke to the Council about what they had witnessed at the scene and Rachel testified as to my condition, and with her being a highly respected medic within the Council there was very little room to dispute facts.

When it came to light what Marcus had done, how he had reacted to my request for aid McCoy and the Captain were furious; apparently Luccio has had dealings with fallen angels in the past so immediately understood the dangers I faced, go figure. Joe said that not only was the accusations against me very quickly dismissed and my so called ‘ _banishment’_ overturned, but a full investigation into Marcus’ actions was launched. To add further insult, it was also decided that whilst the investigation was taking place that he would be relieved of his command and basically placed on administrative leave.

Bottom line, Marcus was done. Whatever achievements or accommodations he had won, they all meant nothing now and in my opinion it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. But it did raise the question of how did such a dedicated man become so power hungry and paranoid? Joe warned me that this was far from over, that there would be repercussions but I was quite happy to file those under ‘problems for Future Gabe’.

A more immediate problem was the decision of what to do about Ellie. After Marcus’ impromptu hearing the Senior Council had a closed door discussion with Joe about everything that had happened here in London. As Joe tells it, they wanted a full no holds barred, unfiltered accounting of everything I went through, including the truth about Ellie’s identity. Whilst there was still a lot that we didn’t know about her I was surprised when I heard the Council had recommended leaving her be for now. They said that the fewer people who knew the truth about her the better. I wasn’t surprised however to find out the endorsement came from McCoy. He stated that he thought it was something I would want and that he trusted my judgement; the rest of the Council consented, some albeit more reluctantly than others according to Joe. But I have to say although I strongly agree the decision on principle, it also makes a lot of sense strategically. More exposure meant more people would try to take advantage of Ellie’s unique gifts and with the current situation within the Council, it was better to play it safe. The Council would keep a close eye on her but ultimately it had become my responsibility to train her and find out what she was capable of.

Yay responsibility.

After hearing Ellie’s statement (as told by Joe) the Council stepped forward to help front the cost for damages to Temple Church and offered to help with construction. The battle had apparently taken its toll on the old building and when Abaddon and I had destroyed the support columns parts of the foundation had become unstable. I’m told work begins in a couple of days. But whilst the church was very grateful for such generosity it did come with an ulterior motive. Taking over the reconstruction meant unrestricted access to the tunnels below, to the Enochian scripture craved along its walls and eventually the Gate itself. If I had my way the Gate would stay buried until the end of time and I’ll be saying as much to the Council as soon as I can, but for now there wasn’t a lot I could do other than to follow the doctor’s orders and rest.

Which is how I ended up sitting in Joe’s kitchen drinking freshly brewed coffee, eating a sandwich and having Joe swear at me.

“You’re shitting me.” Joe swore. “The Horseman of War. Really?”

I had just told him who Ellie was meant to become. He had a hard time trying to process it.

“I shit you not.” I replied. “Looking back on everything it makes perfect sense to me now.”

“You’re trying to tell me that the small girl currently taking in the sun upstairs is supposed to become the most devastating and destructive of the Four Horsemen?”

“I think you may be over exaggerating a little bit Joe.” I told him. “Besides there are always two sides to a story and this one is no different.”

He gave me the look of a man not buying what I was selling.

“Ok try it this way, how do you win a war?” I asked him.

“By beating the other side.” He answered.

“Exactly. You can either beat them by sheer force or through peaceful means and that is how Ellie’s power seems to work.”

“I’m still not following your logic train Gabe.” Joe commented.

“Ellie has the ability to see someone’s weakness, their ‘scars’ if you will. Now she can either heal them, bringing things to an end peacefully, or she can use that weakness to utterly destroy them. Conquer or save. From what I understand of the soulgaze Ellie is going to struggle with both until she can find a balance.”

“And this is what she did to you? Healed your ‘ _scars_ ’?”

“Pretty much.” I answered. “Everything that happened at Chichén Itzá left its mark on me, it haunted me and made me all the weaker for it.  Ellie could see the scars I had been left with and used her powers to rid me of the anxiety I felt, the guilt, everything that was weighing me down. I still have the memories of what happened that night but they no longer have any power over me. Because of Ellie I am at peace. I trusted that with the right push she could do it.”

Joe thought on that for a moment before nodding his head and smiling at me. “This is why the Council has entrusted you with the responsibility of watching over her.”

I looked at him confused and he continued to explain. “Gabe you have shown more courage and faced death more times in the last few days than most Wizards have in their entire lives. You have an understanding of the situation that no one else does, you have the skills to help her but most importantly you have Ellie’s trust. I didn’t lie before, you were chosen for this. Whatever this Great Balance is and whatever happens, I believe you will play a pivotal part in things to come. Nothing happens by coincidence.”

That was a scary thought.

I knew things had been set in motion by recent events, things that might not come to light right away or perhaps for years to come, but something has started. I won’t lie and say I’m not worried, truth be told facing an unknown of this enormity is downright terrifying, but whatever comes, I know that I won’t be facing it alone.

“Have you spoken to her yet?” Joe asked and I looked at me quizzically. “Ellie. Have you spoken to Ellie yet?” He clarified.

“About what?”

Joe rolled his eyes. “About her new status quo.”

“Ah. No.”

“Well then,” He reached over, taking the coffee mug out of my hands and placing it on the kitchen counter. “I suggest you go and speak to your new protégé.”

He had a point but Ellie wasn’t the only one with a new status quo. Sure I’ve had people who relied on me but I have never played the role of teacher before. Knowing that someone’s future actions all depend on what you teach them now is, well, it’s pretty overwhelming. Then again I could just be putting way too much thought into this and letting my mind go crazy.

That sounds about right.

Without saying another word, I nodded to Joe and made my way upstairs. I found Ellie out on the rooftop garden, leaning against the railings and taking in the city view. The sun was high in the sky, casting London in its golden light. There was a light breeze that helped stave off the summer heat ever so slightly; it was still very hot but that’s what you get for living in the city. Ellie continued to admire the view as I approached and for the first time since I had met her, she seemed to be at peace. There was no tension in her shoulders, she was relaxed and calm.

I stood next to her, leaning against the garden railings taking in the sites. London is one hell of a city. Sure it’s crowded, noisy, full of ill-tempered commuters and overly congested, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s the imperfections that gives a thing character and London has them in spades.

“Quite the view.” I said finally. Ellie turned to me and smiled. “Sometimes the best thing you can do is to slow down and take a look around you, remind yourself why you do what it is you’re doing. What you’re trying to protect.”

“So is this our first lesson Mister Miyagi?” she said, a huge smile spreading across her lips.

I returned it with a smile of my own. “Consider that a freebie Daniel-San.” That made her laugh. “I’ll be straight with you Ellie, I have no idea about this mentoring thing. I’m more than likely going to be making it up as I go along, but if you’re patient with me I promise we will figure something out. Together.”

She considered that moment as she watched city life playout before her. I kept quiet and allowed her time to work things through for herself. I may not know a lot but I can tell you that it takes willingness from both parties for this kind of thing to work. If either side is uncommitted to seeing things through then you can expect it to fail spectacularly.

After a few moments of silence Ellie finally nodded her head. “I still don’t truly understand what’s happening to me. The one thing do know is that I don’t want to face it alone.”

“You won’t be alone Ellie.” I placed my hand on top of hers instinctively. “I’ll be here to help you and will try my best to guide you through what’s to come.”

She looked up at me and met my gaze without fear. “When do we start?”

“Soon.” I told her as I looked back out over the city. “For now let’s just enjoy the view. I think we’ve both earnt it.”

Ellie followed my lead, casting her eyes back towards the sun soaked buildings. There were still many questions left unanswered, it was hard to keep them from running through my mind. How did all of this start? How did angels know the Nephilim would be needed once more? If Ellie is meant to be War, then were are the others? Those questions and more went round and round in a constant twister but I knew there were no easy answers to them.

I did know one thing though.

Future Gabe was going to be a very busy boy.

 


	35. Chapter 35

**_[Epilogue]_ **

My investigation into the Fomor (yeah remember those guys?) had led me to an abandoned warehouse in the Docklands area. Its location along the Thames made it prime real-estate for the amphibious creatures’ comings and goings. I had been watching the building for the past two hours and no one had done either of those things; the lights were on, there was an SUV parked out front but there were no signs of it moving anytime soon.

With staff in hand I moved from my hiding place, behind a truck stationed outside a fruit packing facility, and swiftly made my way across the driveway entrance towards Fomor HQ. I reached out with my senses and couldn’t feel any traps or defences of the magical variety; I couldn’t see any centuries standing watch either. The closer I got the more suspicious the silence was making me.

The Fomor bases I had come across in the past had been booby trapped to the eye balls; trip-wire landmines, acid spitting sea urchins, goons with guns, you name it and they had it. This place on the other hand had nothing. I approached the building and tried to peer in through a window but it was too grimy to see anything clearly. One thing I did notice however was the utter lack of movement. I couple of hideouts I had busted up, I’d interrupted a Fomor ritual of some kind but they were performed by their sorcerers not the henchmen, they still had to patrol the area.

There was nothing left for me to do, I would have go inside.

I quietly made my way to the entrance and crouched down ready to pick the lock but as I got closer I noticed black scorch marks on the door. Someone had forced their way inside by using a small detonating charge to blow the door. Making an explosive that precise comes from experience, meaning it came from a professional. I pushed the door open slowly and carefully peered inside; there was nothing immediately by the doorway, no traps or guards or anything. Looking I little further in, along the entrance hallway I could see a couple of canisters resting on the floor. Cautiously I made my way inside and was shocked by what I found.

The two canisters were the remains of a pair of smoke bombs, a fine mist still drizzling from one of the nozzles. It was just past them that I found the first body. The lifeless form of a Servitor laid on the ground with a cluster of bullet holes in his chest. The grouping was accurate and tight meaning the guy didn’t stand a chance; by the time he knew what was happening it would have been too late.

I searched the rest of the warehouse and found several more bodies, some belonging to the Fomor and others that were just unlucky.

When the Fomor started to kick up a stink they began abducting people from the supernatural community; small time practitioners, changelings, anyone that wouldn’t be missed or didn’t have people with the power to investigate further. Warehouses like this are often used as a staging area where the prisoners are locked in cages like animals before being moved on elsewhere.

This warehouse had a group of six cages with an unwilling resident in each one; each one with a bullet hole in the centre of their foreheads.

Lying dead in the middle of the floor was a Fomor sorcerer, or at least what was left of him. The upper half of its face was missing and judging by the blood spatter behind the body something hit the head hard and fast. I followed the creature’s line of site and saw that a window high above with a line of sight to the roof of the adjacent building was broken. Jagged edges still clung to the frame, sticking out like sharp fangs but the rest of the glass laid shattered on the floor below.

More bodies belonging to the Fomor littered the ground, each having been shot centre mass several times. As I crouched down to inspect one of the bodies I found a couple of bullet casings on the ground. I picked one up and took a closer look; best guess the bullet was a forty-five mil calibre, typically the type of ammunition used for assault rifles.

I looked back at the entrance hallway and then over towards the fallen Fomor sorcerer. I had one theory and it seemed pretty crazy. Everything here pointed to a professional hit.

A high calibre round fired from a sniper rifle could easily have done the damaged caused to the sorcerer. With that and the broken window it stood to reason that a sniper was positioned on the roof of opposite building and when the Fomor was in the crosshairs, took the shot. Following that logic trail other pieces fell into place. The death of the sorcerer would have been very quick and very sudden, it would have left the rest of the group confused, vulnerable. The scorch marks on the entrance door were caused by a group wanting to make an equally fast entry. The smoke bombs would have added to the confusion but more importantly it created cover for those infiltrating the building. Once inside the whole thing would have been over quickly, ten seconds at the most.

This kind of takedown was professionally executed, whoever did this had advanced tactical training, seriously weaponry and knowledge.

They knew to take out the sorcerer first, that he was the biggest threat to their operation. Once he was out of the way the rest were easy pickings. But if they knew who the threats were, why did they kill the prisoners? Was this a Red Op, were they sent here to eliminate all supernatural entities?

There was a new player on board and it was clear they considered anyone fair game.

This was going to get a lot worse.

 


End file.
